What Hurts The Most
by Starry Kitty
Summary: Set after the events of Advent Children, Tifa moves away from Midgar to escape her pain. When she is on the edge of death, what will the one person she cannot forget do once they realize their true innermost feelings? CloTi Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

_The world is back to normal again. Everyone seems so happy and carefree… except me. Why can't I just let go and be at peace? I want to… but my heart won't let me. Every day seems like another day of torture and pain. I just wish I could move on with my life… stop pining for something that will never happen. Oh, why do I have to love you so? Why can I not let you go and find another to fill my heart with warmth? Why am I so cursed? I'm starting to sound like a pitiful teenager._

From the corner table in her bar 7th Heaven, TIfa let out a sigh. She hated feeling this way, but lately it had gotten worse. It was almost to the point where she felt as if a pair of hands was pushing on her heart, squeezing it between them every second of the day. Her mind wouldn't focus on much else, for every time she started doing a task, it always flashed back to him. Her nights were shallow, for the pain wouldn't allow her much sleep. If it weren't for Denzel and the other orphans, she would have found a way to end it all already. But she had to take care of them and wouldn't shirk her responsibilities to them. They deserved more than that.

The bell dinged to announce the entrance of another customer, and Tifa moved to the bar, putting on a cheery, albeit fake smile. "Welcome to the 7th Heaven. Is there anything I can do for you today?" she asked a slightly overweight man. He took a seat at the bar and ordered a drink, which she served up quickly with practiced expertise. The man stared at her a few moments, and then opened his mouth to speak.

"You sure are a pretty young thing… bet your man don't like you running this bar, does he?" he asked. Tifa stiffened then relaxed, keeping her face emotionless.

"If I had a man he would not care about me owning a bar," she retorted, washing a few dirty mugs. The man sneered, his eyes glittering with speculation.

"Ah, then perhaps you won't mind if I give that cute backside of yours a squeeze?" he asked, his grubby hand snaking out towards her. Tifa's reaction was immediate; she put the mug down and delivered a quick jab to his arm, causing him to yelp out in pain.

"Don't ever try that again," she warned, her eyes sparkling dangerously. He immediately put his hands a safe distance from her.

"Sorry miss, didn't mean to offend. I was only lookin' to have some fun," he mumbled. Tifa shook her head, ignoring his apology. He just drowned himself in his drink as she finished cleaning up and began checking the level of all the bottles behind the bar. The bell dinged again then, and the phone rang at the same time. Well, one of the two phones. One was for the delivery service and the other was for the bar. The delivery phone was the one now ringing, and she picked it up, glancing at the door to see Barret, Marlene, Denzel, and Yuffie come in.

"Hello, this is Strife Delivery Service. We deliver cross continent to all reaches of land known to us. How can I help you today?" she spoke automatically, her hand poised above a pad of paper with a pen just in case. The person on the other line wanted a pickup and delivery made tomorrow morning all the way to Wutai, and was prepared to pay upon pickup. After jotting down the details, Tifa hung up and turned to her friends. Marlene and Denzel ran up to her and hugged her happily.

"We got to see a bear! It attacked daddy!" Marlene exclaimed, grinning widely. Tifa gave Barret a look, and he immediately defended himself.

"Yuffie was watching them while I shot that foo' beast up! I promise Tifa! I ain't lettin' the kids get hurt for nothin'!" he said, making Tifa just shake her head. She didn't really smile though, and Yuffie and Barret noticed how tired she looked. There were dark bags under her eyes. They were concerned, but knew not to say anything to her, because she would always hide her pain from them until she was ready to divulge her secrets. Tifa's biggest pride was in her strength to stand alone and defend herself, but sometimes they thought it was her biggest weakness too. They seated themselves in front of Tifa, where she made milkshakes for Marlene and Denzel and served Yuffie and Barret some delicious fresh iced tea. She took a glass for herself and sat next to them.

"So Tifa, have you found any more homes for the orphans yet?" Yuffie questioned curiously, always interested to hear about Tifa's mission to find all the orphans homes. She had a feeling that Denzel would be the one to refuse to go and beg to stay with Tifa, since he absolutely adored the young woman.

"Yes, actually, I found homes for four more children today. The families were very solid and good, with caring people to raise the children. I've heard from a few other people looking to adopt, and there is even a few from other cities and continents who wish to adopt. I think I'll deliver that package to Wutai myself tomorrow and visit a family from the village," she told them. Yuffie tilted her head.

"Which family is it?" she asked. She was sure she knew them, being the village head's daughter and all.

"The Hanobu family. They already have a son, so they were looking to adopt a girl since the mother almost died at childbirth and cannot have more," Tifa explained. Yuffie's face lit up in recognition.

"I know the Hanobus! They are really nice people Tifa. I can vouch that they would definitely take very good care of any child in their care. Their son is a bit of a terror but they discipline him with a firm yet gentle hand. Their house is spacious enough for probably three more kids, and of course you know that Wutai is a good place to grow up. I mean, look at who it produced!" she said, her cockiness coming through. It only served as amusement, and even Tifa gave a small chuckle. She rubbed her forehead.

"I am sorry, Yuffie. I completely overlooked the fact that you're practically the heir to Wutai… I guess my mind was miles away. I'll take your word for it then… I can escort the girl they've shown interest in over there to meet them. If they like her and she likes them then I'll leave her in their care," Tifa said. Yuffie nodded.

"Don't worry 'bout it Tif. I'm headin' back to check on my old man tomorrow, so I'll go with, if you don't mind?" she offered hopefully. Yuffie hated traveling alone to her village… she would rather have someone to chatter to the entire trip. Tifa didn't really mind, however.

"Sure. I'll leave to pick up the package at 9, and go straight to Wutai from there." She sipped on her tea then, thinking. Something suddenly hit Barret.

"Tif, not to be nosy, but how come spikey ass ain't takin' the package? Ain't that his job?" he queried her. Tifa just shrugged.

"Cloud's visiting the Forgotten Capital again. Said he was looking for something he dropped when he fought with Kadaj's gang. He won't be back until the day after tomorrow, and this customer wants their package delivered A.S.A.P." Her tone of voice was flat and matter-of-fact, as if Cloud was just some random employ and not her best friend. Barret peered at her curiously.

"Has that idiot been sayin' dumb things to piss you off, Tifa?" he asked, wondering why she sounded so distant from him. Tifa shook her head.

"No. He's actually been a lot more talkative since he forgave himself for letting Aerith die." She left it at that, and just started talking about the children again. Barret was not convinced, but he wouldn't push Tifa. That would only make her close up even more. Soon they were leaving for the night, with Yuffie assuring Tifa she'd be awake and ready by 8:45. Marlene said bye to Denzel and Tifa ushered the boy into bed, along with the other orphans still waiting on homes. As she was tucking him in, Denzel proved that children are very shrewd.

"Tifa… Cloud makes you hurt inside a lot, huh? He don't even have a clue how you feel, which hurts you even more, right?" he asked. He had been observing her very keenly lately, and thought that such a pretty and nice lady needed to be happy instead of sad all the time. Tifa just looked at him for a long moment before replying.

"Yes Denzel, he does. He hurts me a lot and he doesn't even know it," she responded in a whisper, her eyes sad. "Now get some sleep. You'll be watched by Elmira tomorrow, since I'll be gone almost all day. Chisa might not be coming back from Wutai tomorrow, so make sure you tell her bye. Goodnight, dearest child." She kissed his forehead and left him to fall asleep, which he did rather quickly. As she closed the door, Tifa felt as if she couldn't take an adequate breath to make her lungs function correctly. Suddenly the bar was too stuffy, and she had to step outside, which she did hastily. Placing her hands on the wall behind her, she leaned on the side of the bar, gulping in air. Lightheaded, it took her a moment to readjust to her surroundings. She felt like she needed guidance, advice, something helpful from someone she knew she could trust. Red XIII immediately came to mind. It would have to wait until she was done in Wutai tomorrow though. Resolved that she might actually get some advice to help her get rid of her weakness, she retired for the night.

Please take the time to read and review! I'll do the same for you!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Wow, this is my first story on here ever! And I already have 2 reviews! I'm really pleased... I was going to update after the first one. :) I have a few chapters already written out, and I suppose I'll release chapters on review basis (wouldn't want to keep putting something out that no one reads, yanno?)

**gyto - **Thank you very much! You're my very first reviewer outside of my friends ever! Here's another chapter for ya, hope you enjoy it:-D

**macalaniaprincess - **Thanks! I adore CloTi's alot too... and I'm glad you like my style of writing. I haven't really decided how it's going to develop between them, but I have a sketchy idea. We'll see :)

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**Chapter 2**

The next morning Tifa was up early to help the children get ready for school. Everyone told Chisa goodbye, and set out with Elmira to school. Tifa helped Chisa get her things together in a compact fashion, and they were soon joined by a very much awake Yuffie. They left the bar and headed towards the place Tifa was to pick up the package, somewhere close to Walmarket. After it was paid for and received, the trio headed for a couple of chocobos the heroes had stabled. Chisa rode with Tifa and Yuffie had her own smaller chocobo. They were on their way out of Midgar by 9:30, and the sun was shining brightly over them. It proved to be a very beautiful day. Their trip took very little time, only about an hour and a half, made easier by the fact that both chocobos were golden and easily able to cross ocean, river, and mountain alike. Chisa thoroughly enjoyed the ride, and she gave the giant bird a big hug before following behind Yuffie into the village. Yuffie pointed the Hanobu house out to Tifa before disappearing off to see her father.

When Tifa knocked, Chisa squeezed her hand extra tightly, slightly nervous. Tifa gave her an encouraging smile as the door was opened by a very kind looking couple. Their expressions went from curious to excited and happy when they spotted Chisa.

"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Hanobu. I'm Tifa and I've brought Chisa to meet you two and your son," she introduced. Chisa smiled shyly up at the two, delighting them.

"She's just as darling in person as she was in the picture! Oh, please come right in!" the mother said, letting them in the door and showing them to a seat in the living room. Tifa was surveying the place carefully as they chatted for a few moments. Then the mother was unable to hold it in anymore. "I must say, Miss Lockheart, I'm shocked to see you here with her today! I thought you were to personally get to know us before we met the child… isn't that the way it is supposed to work?" Tifa nodded.

"Yes but I heard from Yuffie who is a good friend of mine that you were lovely people so I decided to go on her word and bring Chisa to meet you. I trust Yuffie completely," she explained. They both looked very pleased to receive such praise from the village head's daughter, and soon began talking to Tifa and Chisa. The girl was very shy at first but she soon came out of her shell and started talking animatedly. Tifa watched her interact with the couple and their son, and knew her decision immediately. Chisa even turned to Tifa and gave her a significant look, which told Tifa all she needed to know. She was quick to let the couple know of her decision. "I am pleased to let you know that I think you will make excellent parents for Chisa. All I need now is for you to sign these papers for me and I'll make sure you're registered as the parents of this wonderful little girl," she told them, to which they both exclaimed their delight.

The papers were signed quickly and Chisa was soon hugging Tifa and thanking her for everything, and then the new parents joyfully gave Tifa huge hugs before seeing her off. She knew Yuffie was busy so she decided to catch up with the girl later. Now she could go see Red. First she called Elmira to let her know, then she was off on her chocobo to Cosmo Canyon. The ride was smooth and rather quick, and Tifa arrived with the sun still pretty high in the sky. The guards at the gates let her in readily, and she immediately headed up towards the observatory. Once reaching the door, she gave a few knocks and was bid to enter. She did so and Red greeted her enthusiastically, although with some surprise.

"Tifa! It's good to see you! What brings you here today?" he questioned, getting right to the point immediately. Noticing her haggard appearance, he decided that formalities could be done away with for today. She obviously needed something from him. She sat down wearily in a chair and took a breath before speaking.

"I need some advice… and you're the wisest, most trustworthy person I know," she started, gathering her thoughts and pushing her embarrassment away (she hated talking about such tender feelings to anyone, even herself). When she began speaking again, it was in a slow, halting manner. "I have been… afflicted with certain feelings for a very long time. They're bothersome usually, but lately it's just become to the point where I feel like I am going to explode inside with the pain it causes. I—well, you're giving me that look that says I'm not explaining enough, so I'll get out with it. Ever since we were young and living in Nibelheim I have been in love with Cloud. Over the years it has just gotten worse and worse… especially knowing that he only sees me as one of his best friends and nothing else. I mean, look how torn up he was over Aerith. He blamed himself for her death and wouldn't forgive himself until just recently… yet even now he still travels to the Forgotten Capital and visits her. I know he does, for once I followed him there to give him a package to deliver. I was really just curious, you see.

"She's the love of his life and I don't think he'll ever get over her. That's why I hate having these feelings for him… they consume me more and more until I want to cut my heart out so I won't feel the pain. I wish to get over this and move on, but I don't know how. Red… I need your help. I need **someone's **help before I go insane with the hurt! Even Denzel sees it… that kid is so smart; I think he watches me closely. He knows how I feel and I think it makes him sad. I'm not asking to find happiness I just want to be at peace and cease to be overwhelmed by love for someone who will never return that feeling. He'll never be torn up over me the way he was over Aerith. Aerith was the beautiful angel whom everyone loved. I'm just a tomboy with a nice pair of legs and a nice chest area. I haven't slept much lately because these feelings won't leave me alone… sometimes I feel like shriveling up into a ball and crying for days and days until I'm completely dehydrated. But I have to take care of the orphans and so I go on every day with this huge ache in my body. Some days I just have to practically push myself out of bed to get on with the day and with life… do you have any ideas or advice?" she finally finished, stopping to take a breath.

Red had been watching her while she explained her problem to him and had seen all the pain she spoke of reflected deep in her ruby eyes. It even hurt him to see all of that hurt shining out from such a beautiful person. He shook his wild mane as if to make sense of it all. Finally he spoke.

"Tifa, you are a very beautiful woman yourself, don't ever think otherwise. Even though you are sure that Aerith is the love of Cloud's life, I am not so sure. He visits her constantly, yes, but I think that is because he has no one to share his thoughts and feelings to. He isn't one to open up to people much, just like you yourself. I think most of the group is that way, and it is sad to see that we cannot open up to each other. I am glad you have come to me with your feelings, though. I shall offer you the best advice I have. I am not skilled in the area of love, but I do know that to keep beating yourself down the way you do, as if you weren't good enough for him isn't the way to go. It only causes your self esteem great damage which may be irrevocable.

"To heal the hurts of your heart, you must find something else to dedicate yourself entirely to. Perhaps being around Cloud all the time and working with him makes it worse. Therefore you might look into relocating somewhere where you can try forgetting about him. He will always be there, but if you can be away from him for a while until you find yourself falling out of love with him, then later on you can become friends again. Do not let yourself dwell on thoughts of him, instead think about other things. Then you can look at things rationally and see that there are other things to replace the void you feel inside of you. Tifa, you're a wonderful person who deserves happiness or as you put it peace. It takes one day at a time for these things to work…" he said, giving her the best he could possibly do. He had no idea about Cloud's feelings so he just went with her thinking. Tifa thought on this a few minutes and finally nodded, her head rising slightly.

"Yes, that sounds completely doable. I shall look into relocation tomorrow. I only have a small handful of orphans to place, and then I will be able to move away, perhaps back to Nibelheim, or maybe somewhere new. No, Nibelheim holds too many memories. Costa del Sol… yes! A place on the beach full of sunshine… I am sure that would lift my spirits considerably!" she mused, happy with her choice. "Thank you so much, Red! I don't think I could have done this without you," she told him, hugging the big red feline around his neck fur. He purred in response to show his acceptance of her thanks. "I should be getting back to Midgar before Denzel kills me for staying away from him all day long," she added, rising. Red walked her to the gate, wishing her luck as she mounted her chocobo and rode off. He watched her for a few minutes until her form disappeared, worry creasing his brow. He hoped his advice worked, for Tifa was dangerously close to losing hope in everything. It never ceased to amaze him how thickheaded and blind Cloud could be. Even now, with Tifa literally falling apart right in front of him, Cloud had no clue. Hopefully he would know when she left, but Red doubted it. He then went the great fire to send a prayer out for his friends.

Meanwhile Tifa was flying over the ground, her mind made up about her plans. She would miss the children, Denzel and Marlene, Barret, and especially Cloud… but she needed to get away from him. She saw that now very clearly, and the roaring ache in her calmed slightly. Already she was feeling better about the prospect, and a change of pace would also be welcome. When she got back to the bar, Denzel was waiting for her anxiously, and was overjoyed to see her. She put him to bed after relating that Chisa was with a very good family, then headed to bed herself. She slept easier that night now that something was there to occupy her mind with other than Cloud.

The next day she busied herself with finding the remaining children homes, interviewing some families and giving them the yes or no. By the end of the day she had seen three more orphans in new families, and it pleased her greatly. Cloud got back just as the sun was setting, and Tifa fixed him his desired drink as she related the past couple days' business to him. Now that he was back and near her, Tifa felt herself drowning once more, and knew more than before that she just _had _to get away soon. Very soon. She gave him the next few days' delivery orders and turned in for the night, letting him close the bar himself. His room was a scant few feet away from hers and that night she slept very restlessly, unable to snag more than a couple hours the whole night.

There were four more children to find homes for, including Denzel. Tifa did more interviewing and touring houses that day, and a couple from all the way north on the North Continent came to adopt. By the end of the night there was only Denzel left, and Tifa wondered why he hadn't been shown any interest in. It troubled her, but she sent out more information to several houses in Midgar before turning in for the night. The next day she got a good response, and interviewed all of the families interested in taking Denzel in. She introduced Denzel to some of them, and the boy seemed sullen and unwilling. He wouldn't speak to any of the families, and finally Tifa had to talk to him in private.

"Denzel… what is wrong with you today? I sent out all that information last night to try to get you a good family today, but you act like you don't want a good home. What's going on?" she asked him gently. Denzel toed the ground before speaking.

"I don't want _their_ good homes. I already have a good home. I want to live with you, Tifa. I want to be adopted by you and call you my mom and you call me your son. I don't want to go away!" he exclaimed, surprising Tifa to the bottoms of her feet. She certainly hadn't expected this to happen. Why would Denzel want to stay with a wreck like her?

"But Denzel… look at me. I'm such a wreck… I can hardly keep my head above water these days. How can I support and raise you when I cannot even take much care of myself?" she asked, her eyes sad. He just shook his head.

"You're doing just fine, even though your inside hurts so bad. I love you Tifa, and I want you to raise me. You're such a good person who always tries to help others even when they only hate you in return. I want to learn from you and hopefully be like you one day," he told her, causing the young woman to choke up with tears. She engulfed him in a huge hug.

"Oh Denzel… you don't know how bad I've needed to hear that lately. You've just inspired me so much," she said emotionally. Denzel got teary too, hearing her words. She let go of him and looked him square in the eye. "Okay, then, you can live with me as my adopted son. But I have to tell you a secret that I'm going to tell everyone else soon… I'm going to move. I have to get away from Cloud… being around him hurts too much. You have seen this… I need to move on from this pain and put him behind me, and I can't do it with him constantly around me. Would you be willing to move away from Marlene and everyone else?" she asked him, holding her breath without knowing it.

Denzel looked thoughtful, and surprised, and finally responded. "Okay… sure. I'll move with you. Just one question: Where are we moving to?" Tifa gave a soft giggle, something he hadn't heard in a very long time.

"Costa del Sol. I've already talked with a real estate lady there and she tells me she has the perfect house for me… it has two bedrooms in it and plenty of space for a low cost. I have a good amount of gil saved up too," she told him. Denzel had heard about the sunshine town but had never seen it, and now he was excited. He'd miss Marlene but he knew she'd come visit him. They talked on it some more and finally Tifa called everyone together for a meeting. It was just Barret, Elmira, Marlene, Denzel and Cloud, but it was very important for them all to be there. Barret was watching Tifa closely, while Denzel sat on her lap, his face beaming.

"Don't tell me, you decided to adopt the kid?" Barret asked, wondering why it was so important for everyone to know at the same time. Tifa smirked.

"Well, that is one piece of news I wish to share. The other part is…" she started, taking a deep breath before continuing. "Denzel and I are moving to Costal del Sol tomorrow. I am going to leave the bar in your charge, Barret, and Cloud will still run the delivery service." Everyone stared at her for a moment before Barret responded first.

"What the #! Is going through that pretty head of yours, Tifa!#, you're just gonna up and leave like that?" he exploded, his gun arm raised threateningly. Tifa held her hands up in surrender.

"Calm down, Barret! Yes, I am. I spoke with a very dear friend who advised me that this would be the best way for me to find peace again. I am sure you have noticed that I haven't been quite myself lately, and to find myself again I have to get away from this place. It hurts too bad… I must leave before I go crazy," she explained, her voice quiet. Barret couldn't argue with that, though he was really angry at whatever was driving her away. He had a feeling it had something to do with spikey ass Cloud, he was such an idiot. He didn't pry, however.

"The kid agrees to this? What 'bout Marlene? Y'all will miss her!" he stated. Tifa nodded.

"Yes, but she is welcome to come visit us, as all of you are. We will visit from time to time too," she told him. They talked on it some more, ironing out all the minor details, then everyone went to sleep. Tifa and Denzel had a long day tomorrow, so they were ready to get to bed.

The morning came almost too soon for Tifa's liking, but she had to be up early so they could pack up their stuff and get it shipped to the town before they headed off on chocobo. Once these things were complete, they turned to tell their friends goodbye and the bar as well. They hugged everyone tightly, even Cloud. He looked slightly confused and as if he wanted to say something, but no words passed his lips. It was better that way, Tifa figured. She didn't want to linger on any last words for weeks and weeks. And so Tifa and her new son left their old life behind them and headed for an entirely new place, never looking back. It would hurt too much.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **This is a pretty long chapter, just a fair warning :) I call Cloud idiot and whatnot, but only because he kinda is a dumb blonde ;) But I don't hate him at all!

**Disclaimer: **All characters and places belong to Square. I'm just playing with them.

**To My Reviewers:**

Wow... I can't believe how many reviews I now have! I'm still in shock that you all are reading and enjoying my story :) It makes me want to work on it more. Which I will do tomorrow... however, don't be surprised if the updates start slowing because the ones I've posted have been written already a few weeks ago. I've just been adding slowly. Stay tuned for more set up to the real action/romance of the story!

**Rend & lilmizgrunge: **Here you go! Chapter 3:)

**bee bee: **You cried? Well, I must say that it makes me feel great to hear that, from a writer's perspective. I'm glad the story could instill such emotion in you! The sadness isn't over yet though... smirks Here's Chapter 3!

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When Tifa and Denzel got to Costa del Sol, the real estate lady was waiting. She seemed excited to have sold a house, and she showed them around their new home with exuberance. It was spacious enough for two adults, and very comfortable. The weather was different than Midgar and a little hard to get used to, but they soon purchased warm weather clothing to alleviate the heat. Their things arrived later in the evening and they spent the rest of the day unpacking and putting things up. Tifa was having her piano delivered from Nibelheim, and planned on practicing again and getting into the music once more. Their first night went by quickly for both were exhausted to the point of sleeping throughout the night, and the next day they were woken by knocking on their door. The entire town had come to meet them, it seemed. They hurried to get dressed and look presentable, then went out to meet everyone.

The majority of the town folk were friendly, although some seemed slightly suspicious of the strange pair. They loosened up when Tifa explained that Denzel was her son by adoption, and everyone almost swooned when they figured out that she was one of the heroes who saved the Planet. Soon they were given tours of the town and houses, and finally they were able to relax with promises to visit everyone before the week was out. Exhausted, they relaxed over a light lunch that Tifa fixed (she was a surprisingly good cook) and then they went to get Denzel registered for school. Once that was done, they decided to spend a few hours on the beach. It was a very hectic yet relaxing day. They slept very well that night, and were up and ready early the next morning. Tifa ushered Denzel off to school, then went about looking for a job.

She searched until noon, asking everyone and anyone, and finally someone presented something suitable for her. It was actually the sort-of mayor of the town, a man by the name of Genko. He said that they hardly had troubles with any monsters attacking, but every now and then they'd get an attack. He asked her to be the guardian of the town, which would give her plenty of free time to spend with her son and opportunity to keep herself in shape. She immediately agreed, and started an exercise program to keep her body trim and fit. She decided that she could patrol the borders of the town to watch out for predators, and maybe venture out into the field every now and then to find monsters to fight with. That way she could keep her moves in practice and keep the monsters away from the sunshine town. There was plenty of time for the beach too, and both Denzel and Tifa enjoyed it immensely. While Denzel was in school she could suntan, and when he got out and on the weekends she could play in the water with him.

Denzel made many new friends, and became pretty popular at school. He had many stories to tell, and everyone loved listening to him talk about the heroes and their fights. Tifa made friends as well, and even attracted some male attention, although she always rebuffed them politely, telling them that she wasn't interested in any relationships right now. They backed off immediately, giving her respect. They knew she could pummel their faces in any time she wanted, and she wouldn't ever get in trouble. She still kept to herself a lot and didn't get very close to anyone at first. Time began flying before she knew it, and soon she was feeling much better, although her heart still burned and ached for Cloud, mostly at night when she wasn't so busy doing things. She tended to run errands for her friends during the day, and so she kept busy. She also spent a lot of time with Denzel, warming up to the mother role she was now in.

Tifa was finding more purpose in life, and soon her mind started putting Cloud to the very back, still there but only faintly. She had so many other things to think about. Her piano had arrived and been installed, and so she spent two or three hours a day practicing. Soon she was at a high enough level to where the villagers would stop and listen to the music coming from her windows, and she often was asked to give performances at celebrations. She agreed after much begging, and fit herself nicely into the village. Everyone knew her and her son and respected them. Denzel was a very smart boy and was the top of his class before very long. Tifa even had her own specially designated umbrella on the beach which was always in her favorite spot. Denzel and Tifa missed Marlene terribly, so one weekend she came to spend time with them. Denzel introduced her to all of his friends, and she got to swim with him in the ocean. They collected shells and did so many things together. When she returned to Barret she was full of the cool new lives Tifa and Denzel were leading. Their friends still missed them though.

Barret and Cloud had gotten into a few arguments that led up to a fight because Barret continually blamed Cloud for Tifa's leaving. He wanted to teach that spikey head a lesson not to go saying things to people without thinking, but Cloud was still clueless as to what he might have done to upset Tifa. He missed her a lot, and found himself thinking about her, wondering what had caused her so much pain. Still completely in the dark about it, he couldn't find an answer, and so he continued pondering, feeling her absence more acutely than he thought he would.

One day Tifa and Denzel were relaxing after a swim at the beach when Denzel turned to his mother curiously. "Mom, how much did you love Cloud?" he asked her, wanting to know. He knew it was a touchy subject but he really felt like he _had_ to know. Tifa was surprised; they hadn't discussed Cloud or her reason for leaving Midgar since they had left.

"Honey, I still love him. I don't think I'll ever get over that. But that's because it's a soul consuming love… the type you can't get rid of no matter what you do. I just hope it gets easier to live with and ignore someday so I can be a little happy," she told him. Her eyes still reflected some sadness and loneliness, but he knew she was coping.

"I hope I never fall in love. It hurts too much to be that way!" he exclaimed, his jaw set. Tifa laughed almost humorlessly.

"Sometimes you can't help it; it just happens. However, you can be sure to woo the girl you want before she gets away from you," she told him, ruffling his still wet hair. He looked at her with scrutiny.

"Why didn't you woo Cloud?" he asked her, furrowing his brow in confusion. She shook her head.

"Because by the time I realized my feelings he had already gone off to fight in SOLDIER, and then later I thought I was over it until he met Aerith and became infatuated with her. Then it hit me again and by that time it was too late," she explained sadly. Denzel hugged her then. "Just let me know when you think you love a girl, and I'll tell you if it's really love or not," she added, to which he agreed. They let the subject drop then, but it remained in Denzel's head. Chiefly he was aware that she still loved Cloud and ached for him, but he knew she was getting better.

Life continued on steadily until one day Genko came pounding on Tifa's door in the middle of the night. She groggily answered, and found him frantically jumping around outside of her door. "Tifa! There's a creature we've never seen before terrorizing the town! A fisherman was showing his friend the tip of the beach when the creature attacked. It killed the fisherman but his friend managed to come back to tell us what happened. Hurry!" he said, running off to bring some sort of order to the chaos going on outside. Most of the villagers had heard and were frantically searching for shelter. Tifa hurried to get dressed, instructing a half asleep Denzel to stay inside while she took care of a problem outside. He watched her disappear with her gloves on, his eyes still half closed from being asleep. It dawned on him that she was off to fight, so he hurried into some clothes and followed after her, staying out of sight from everyone and everything.

Tifa was standing before a huge snake-like beast when he got to her, and the monster was hissing vehemently at her. It had two tongues and four eyes, with large talons sticking out of its torso like a dinosaur. Big drops of gooey poison dripped from bloody fangs that looked like they could pierce through a diamond. Tifa powered up, preparing to whoop some snake tail. The battle was intense, and there were several times when Denzel thought his mother was toast, and one time he was sure of it until she came back with a strong fast kick to its neck, taking out one of its tongues. It hissed loudly and slithered off in the blink of an eye, disappearing. She landed on the ground away from the pool of poison, victorious. However, she wasn't looking good. She slumped over onto one knee, panting and gasping for breath before falling over in a dead faint. Denzel immediately came out of hiding, screaming her name.

When he reached her, her face was deathly pale and her skin tinted a sickly green. He noticed a bite in her arm, and knew she was infected with the poison that smelled acidic. He screamed towards the village for help until Genko finally came out to see what had happened. Seeing their hero fallen, he immediately called for ambulatory help, and watched for the return of the beast while Tifa was being put into a helicopter and sent away to Mideel for professional help. Denzel was ushered into the helicopter with her, and they were taken off at a quick speed. He held onto Tifa's limp hand for dear life, willing her to wake up and to not die. The trip wasn't long but it felt like an eternity to Denzel as he watched Tifa grow paler and sicklier. When they reached Mideel, he was relieved to see her be handled by professionals. The doctor and his nurses recognized her immediately, and took special care to make sure she was checked thoroughly.

Denzel had to wait outside of the closed room, and he felt very antsy and impatient. A phone started ringing and he realized he had Tifa's cell phone with him for some reason. Perhaps Genko had slipped it into his pocket while he wasn't looking. It was the mayor himself, who wished to know details. Denzel told him what happened, then requested that he contact Barret and Cloud from Midgar to let them know. Denzel didn't want to be waiting alone like this. Genko did as he was asked, and while the doctor took a long time examining and trying to treat Tifa, Denzel slept. He was woken by a slight nudge, and found Marlene looking at him with wide eyes. Barret and Cloud were behind her. He immediately hugged her for comfort, his own eyes wide with fear and concern.

They all waited for a while longer, and finally the doctor emerged from the room. His face was grim, immediately setting their hearts to pound. They all rose, impatient to hear what was wrong with her.

"I have never come across a poison like this before. It is infecting her entire body at an alarmingly rapid rate, and it cannot be drained from her system at this point. I am afraid that she is passing beyond our help… she is in a comatose state that she may very well never wake from," he announced, causing everyone great sorrow. Denzel burst into tears, the first time he'd showed any real emotions in front of others. Marlene started crying too, and they hugged each other while they cried. Barret looked pissed off and Cloud looked completely stricken. Barret was the one to question the doctor further, for no one else could bring their wits about them enough to think.

"You're tellin' me there's no #$! cure in this whole damn planet for her!" the big man exclaimed, grabbing the doctor by the collar and holding his gun barrel on him. The doctor was visibly shaken now.

"I-if the creature that poisoned her is still out there… I would need a fang full of poison to make an antidote. B-but no one knows anything about the creature… it hasn't been seen until today," he managed to get out. Denzel came to the rescue, having dried up a little when he heard there could be a cure.

"I saw the creature… it was a big snake thing with two tongues and four eyes and two talons sticking out of its body like a dinosaur. Tifa knocked one of his tongues off with her kick, so he's sporting a big wound," he informed them. Cloud had been listening silently the whole time, and suddenly his face hardened with determination.

"I'll bring it back here," was all he said as he disappeared out the door. By the time Barret had released the doctor and gone to try to join Cloud, the man was no where to be seen. _Damn he travels fast when he's really determined_ thought Barret as he turned back to comfort the weeping children. Denzel looked to the doctor.

"C-can I go sit by her bed while Cloud gets the poison? Please?" he begged, his eyes large and determined. The doctor nodded after receiving a glare from Barret.

"Sure but be careful not to knock anything around her. It is keeping her alive barely as we speak," he said, opening the door for the boy. Denzel went to her side, putting one pale fragile hand in his. _Please mother, don't die on me. Please!_ he thought as he leaned over her, careful not to touch any of the machines surrounding her. The entire clinic was silent with anxiety; everyone was pulling for the young woman and no one knew if Cloud would find the creature and survive the fight to bring the poison back with him. The doctor meanwhile had one of the best alchemists on the planet flown in. The man was a genius with making antidotes, and if anyone could do it, he could. They all waited with bated breath. Just when they thought Cloud had surely been eaten, he burst in the door with the huge fang in hand. The alchemist took the fang and immediately set to work.

Denzel was unaware of this as he continued silently weeping at his mother's side, holding her hand to offer his support to her if she could feel it. The door opened on him and Cloud stood there, motioning for him to come out. "The doctors are going to try to give her the cure now," he told the boy in a rigid tone, his eyes flitting to her prone form for a moment. It shook him up more than he thought possible, and he tore his gaze away before he broke down. She looked so pale and weak lying there, and he knew how much it would vex her to realize how helpless she was right now. Tifa had always been so strong and proud of it, and he knew how much she hated to feel weak. He took a seat next to Denzel and they began another waiting process.

The doctors emerged about twenty minutes later, their faces strained. Denzel immediately returned to his mother's side while the doctors spoke to the rest of the supporters.

"We've given her the antidote… now all we can do is wait and see if it will cure her. It might be at such an advanced stage that she will never recover, but there is nothing left to do for her other than alleviate any symptoms she suffers. One of you should be on guard to watch her and inform the nurses if anything goes wrong, and to contact us for serious matters. We'll be in the village if you need us," they said, leaving to get some rest and relaxation. It had been a long hard workday for them both, and they needed the break. The others decided on shifts, and left Denzel alone with her for some time. Barret and Marlene had next watch, and then Cloud was after that. He sat down shakily next to her bed, his azure eyes glued to her fragile face. She looked so hollow… almost dead.

He noticed that her life in Costa del Sol had brought a nice honey tan to her complexion, which really suited her. She looked almost like a china doll lying there, as if the wind could blow in and break her. Watching her face, he realized just how beautiful a woman she was, and wondered why he'd never noticed before. Or maybe he had but he hadn't realized it. Either way, now he knew, and he was surprised by his own reaction to her. He felt a fierce protection come over him, and it seemed as if something inside just snapped and melted. He found himself thinking back on their history, their childhood and then their fight for the Planet. She had been so fiercely loyal to him, even when he was half insane with Mako poisoning. She had brought him back from the abyss and helped him emerge from his shattered memories. Without her he would have certainly died here in this very clinic.

He remembered their talks and how she had helped buoy him every time he tried letting himself down. Tifa was like his solid rock in a liquid world. He could always rely on her to see the best in him and try to make him see it himself. He was so stubborn and stupid sometimes, he wanted to kick himself. He had pushed her away so much, even after he had forgiven himself for Aerith's death. Then it hit him… maybe that was part of the reason she had left? She must have felt that he was pushing her and everyone away like always. His thoughts continued rotating around this theory as he watched over her. When it was Denzel's turn again, he stood watching Cloud quietly for some time before knocking to announce his presence. Cloud reluctantly left her, letting the boy take over watch. Denzel felt suddenly lightheaded, and watched his mother's face fiercely. _Mother… you have to come back now. I've discovered something which you'll want to know! Please come back to us…_

Denzel's shift was over soon and then Barret and Marlene went in again. Denzel watched Cloud, and finally couldn't hold it in. "Cloud… I think you should know that it's all your fault we left Midgar," he announced. Cloud looked up at him, his face holding no apparent surprise.

"I thought so. I shouldn't have pushed her away so much… like I always push everyone away," Cloud returned. Denzel grew frustrated then with the clueless man.

"No! That's not it! Cloud, you're the big hero that everyone loves, but sometimes you're as dumb as a pile of bricks. Mom didn't leave because you pushed her away… she left because she couldn't stand being around you anymore. It hurt her too much inside, and she was falling apart. She would have gone crazy if she didn't leave when she did. She hurt so much everyday… I saw it in her big red eyes. You never saw… you were always blind," he informed the blonde. Cloud looked shocked, and shook his head.

"But why did my presence hurt her so much? Does she really hate me so?" he asked the boy, genuinely confused. Denzel just rolled his eyes.

"No dummy. It's the complete opposite. She sees you as more than just a friend, don't you see? She has feelings for you more than you'll ever know, and it tore her up. You were too busy with your obsession with Aerith to notice her, weren't you?" he accused, his eyes narrowing at the hero. Cloud was completely taken away with this bit of news. Yeah, he'd been clueless alright. But instead of making him slightly edgy or nervous like he suspected that information would, it gave him an extremely warm feeling inside.

"Aerith? Yeah, I guess I was…" he managed to say. Denzel just sighed his frustration as he laid down to get some sleep. Cloud grew silent with thoughtfulness until it was his turn. When he sat by Tifa's bed again, he just stared at her beautiful face, his mind burning with the knowledge he'd just acquired. More than a friend? Feelings? Tifa, who had never expressed any interest in romance, had secretly been harboring feelings for him. Gosh, he was such a blind fool. It even made her move away from him so she could get some peace. He felt like a complete clod right at that moment. What a fool he was… no wonder everyone always called him idiot or dummy. He was so clueless because his mind was always far away from the present. Then there was Aerith… the pretty flower girl. He had fancied himself in love with her, but even though he wouldn't forgive himself for letting her die, he didn't feel like half his soul had been torn away by her death. Suddenly he heard her voice in his head.

'_Cloud… don't be such a fool. You never were in love with me… you just saw me as a friend you had to protect. Our relationship wasn't a romantic one, no matter how much I made it seem so. You need to figure that out, baka!'_ Cloud only shook his head, disgusted with himself. Everyone else knew what an idiot he was except him. No wonder Barret had blown up at him and Marlene had given him dirty looks. He decided he needed to come back to earth and start living in the now before it was too late. Looking back down at Tifa, he was suddenly struck with a heartbreaking realization. There was a very real chance that Tifa would never wake up again; never open those dark red eyes and smile that smile which only she could make at him. A sharp pain like a sword being thrust into his heart hit Cloud, and tears sprang to his eyes. The cold warrior was breaking down in a hospital, and only the angels knew. A deep sob made its way out of his throat, and the tears started falling in warm rivers down his face.

He might never have the chance to tell her… just how stupid he had been. To apologize for being so blind and such a bad friend. A funny tingling in his chest made him stop to think… and it hit him like icy fire. He loved her. He had loved her for a very long time… but he had been so messed up in the head that he hadn't realized it at all. He had ignored her, ignored life itself, instead concentrating on all the things he had done wrong. She had tried bringing him back to life, but he kept running away from it. But she had still been there for him, ever at his side, offering her support. And he had loved her all this time without even knowing it. He might never get the chance to tell her that either, and it made him feel sick to his stomach. Tifa… she might be the only person able to offer him a chance at life, and here she was, a fate's breath away from being taken from him forever. The hours then turned into a timeless void and began stretching on for an eternity.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Wow thanks so much for all the reviews! You guys are freakin' awesome! This is my Easter gift to you all :) Have a great and safe holiday! Oh, and the song (in **_bold italics_**) is What Hurts The Most by Rascal Flatts... it is my entire inspiration for this fic! If you haven't heard it, you should check it out... unless you absolutely abhor country music that is. LoL. Love you all! Muah! Mina Wolf AKA Starry Kitty

**Disclaimer: **All characters, places, and past events belong to Square-Enix. :) I'm playing them like a fiddle :P

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The next few days were like a lifetime of baited breath and restless sleep for all fourinhabitants of the Mideel clinic. The doctors checked in every other hour, but nothing had changed. If anything, Tifa's heartbeat had gotten extremely weak and her breath very shallow. On the fourth day of Tifa's coma, Cloud was sitting there next to her staring at her lifeless face, his eyes burning with lack of sleep. He was exhausted, but even more than that, he was in a state of shock and sadness. His soul cried out for the woman dying in the bed, and his body was weak to the point of breaking down. His mind reeled as he stared at the closed eyes and lips. 

_**I can take the rain on the roof of this empty house, that don't bother me**_

The tears were just springing from Cloud's eyes as he let out an anguished sob from the bottom of his very heart and soul.

_**I can take a few tears now and then and just let 'em out**_

He had seen the grim looks the doctors had exchanged when they had checked on her earlier that morning.

_**I'm not afraid to cry every once in awhile even though going on with you gone still upsets me**_

She was fading fast and that was a fact. Who knew that the poison hadn't already reached the point where it could no longer be neutralized?

_**There are days every now and again I pretend I'm okay but that's not what gets me**_

Cloud felt his hope fading along with the beep of the heart monitor which screamed a testimonial to the state Tifa was now facing.

_**What hurts the most is being so close**_

_**And having so much to say**_

_**And watching you walk away**_

Anguish tore at his battered soul repeatedly until suddenly a solid beep was emitted from the machine, signifying his worst fears.

_**And never knowing what could have been**_

_**And not seeing that loving you**_

_**Is what I was trying to do**_

Tears were falling freely now from the deep azure eyes as Cloud stared at the machine that said her heart had stopped.

_**It's hard to deal with the pain of losing you everywhere I go but I'm doing it**_

Suddenly he was angry; angry enough to ram his gigantic sword through the machine.

**_It's hard to force that smile when I see our old friends and I'm alone_**

Gone? She couldn't be… no… it wasn't true. The fear that he had been facing for the past few days suddenly was coming alive and it ripped a wide hole inside of him.

_**Still harder getting up getting dressed living with this regret but I know if I could do it over**_

Tifa Lockheart… The tomboy who had accepted him into her world with the ease of a long lost friend… the girl who had made promises with him around a well… the woman who had chased evil with him and helped him save the world…

_**I would trade give away all the words that I saved in my heart that I left unspoken**_

The woman who had fiercely protected him and then gone inside his mind and brought him back to the living world. The woman who would always be there for him, even when he pushed her off the face of his planet. Cloud realized with a start how damned lucky he had been to have someone like her around… and how little he wanted to go on without her.

_**What hurts the most is being so close**_

**_And having so much to say _**

_**And watching you walk away**_

The anger suddenly was so overwhelming, and his head throbbing hard enough to match his heart's pounding, that Cloud let out a low growl, looking at the heart monitor.

_**And never knowing what could have been**_

_**And not seeing that loving you**_

_**Is what I was trying to do**_

His hands were raised, the sword in them poised and ready to do some real damage when a soft sound stopped him.

_**What hurts the most is being so close**_

"…Cloud? What… are you… doing?"

_**And having so much to say**_

It was the unmistakable sweet tone of Tifa's voice.

_**And watching you walk away**_

Cloud thought he was dreaming, and cursed silently to himself that his conscious would play tricks on him like this.

_**And never knowing what could have been**_

He closed his eyes in an effort to banish the cruel trick and the haunting voice.

_**And not seeing that loving you**_

When he reopened them, he was still staring at the heart monitor but suddenly… he looked down at the deathly angel lying on the bed.

_**Is what I was trying to do…**_

Her beautiful ruby eyes were opened in slits and she was looking at him. As if to clarify that he wasn't imagining things, the heart monitor picked up her heartbeat again.

"Why are you c-crying?" she got out weakly, having noticed the river flowing down Cloud's face. Cloud was so overwhelmed that he didn't say anything for a full minute until finally…

"TIFA! You're alive!" he exclaimed, the sun suddenly coming up in his gloomy stormy world. Tifa looked confused.

"What… happened…?" she asked him. Cloud just sighed and related everything to her. Remembrance slowly dawned on her face. "I remember… but how long… have I been… here?" she queried.

"The four longest days of my life," he returned just as the door burst open and the two doctors rushed in. They came to a complete stop, their faces amazed beyond belief when they saw her alive and… awake!

"We rushed over here as soon as we heard the heart alarm… but…?" they said, confusion written on their faces. Cloud's face was beaming as he explained.

"Her heart did stop, but just as I was thinking she was gone for good she spoke to me and came back to life!" The doctors were still stunned until they realized their duty.

"We must check her over. If you would please Mr. Strife, join your friends outside," they told him. Cloud gave Tifa's hand a squeeze before dazedly leaving the room. Everyone was standing anxiously, wondering what was going on.

"$#! man, what happened? Why'd them two run in there like Bahamut Zero was after 'em?" demanded Barret. Cloud was still looking very dazed.

"Her heart stopped… that's why they came so fast…" he started. Everyone looked shocked and stricken. Denzel's eyes were as huge as the moon. "But then she spoke… and the machine picked up her heart beat again. She woke up!" Cloud finished, amazed. It took a moment for the truth to sink in… then everyone started talking at once.

"You're such a #$ head, Cloud! I could ram a bullet up your spikey ass for letting us think she was gone!" Barret yelled angrily over the other voices. But he was too happy to really follow through with his threat.

Denzel was just standing there in amazement until Marlene gave him a big hug and made him dance with her. Suddenly Yuffie, Red XIII, Cid, Shera and Vincent came through the door. Yuffie was carrying a tray full of hot drinks.

"I was totally going to get us some coffee with Red here and these three show up. Hey, why are you all looking so happy? She woke up?" she gushed, working it all out in her own special Yuffie way. Cloud told the story again, and everyone started hugging and crying; even Cid & Vincent teared up a little. They calmed down as Yuffie handed out the drinks (she had brought hot cocoa for the kids) and they all found places somehow in the tiny room.

Silence fell over everyone as they contemplated their own musings and sipped their hot drinks.

'Sure am glad Tif's okay. I was gonna pound spikey ass over there for hurting her so bad…' was on Barret's mind.

'Aunty Tifa is alright! Now Denzel won't have to go through losing another mom,' thought the young but insightful Marlene.

'She's gonna be okay… she won't leave me! Maybe now Cloud will show her that he's not a total dummy,' was Denzel's thought.

'Tifa's okay! Woo-hoo! Maybe she has some new materia she can give me when she's back home!' Yuffie thought right before burning her tongue in her excitement. She cursed in a most unladylike manner and received a series of looks which she stuck the burnt tongue out at.

'Tifa will make it. She's a very strong person… I am quite surprised to observe the redness of Cloud's eyes…' thought the ever silent observer Vincent.

'I wonder if the puffiness around his eyes means Cloud was really crying over her… She will survive like she always has and I hope he will become brave instead of always running away…' Nanaki mused. He had held out the hope of her return to them since he'd heard that she was fallen.

'Damn Tifa, gave me a scare. Glad she's alright now… things wouldn't be the same without her. Shera wouldn't be constantly nagging me about the wedding either,' came the pilot Cid's wanderings.

'Tifa girl I'm glad you're okay. Everyone here would be devastated if you were to leave… especially the children and Cloud,' was Shera's thought. Her womanly intuition tuned her more into Cloud's feelings. Cloud's mind was the busiest of all.

'She's alright… she's going to live! I… oh gosh I've been such an idiot. I have to make it up to her somehow… but I do not even have the slightest clue how to go about it. I know she won't believe me if I just rush in there and spill my heart out… I think I need to ease into it. Argh… how does one do this sort of thing? Some advice would be appreciated… maybe… no not him. Shera? Yeah, she seems to be the one most into that romantic mindset. I'm sure she could give me solid advice,' streamed through his mind. The silence persevered until the two doctors emerged from the room about a half hour later. Everyone immediately looked to them expectantly.

"She's asleep right now. We've thoroughly examined her and found that the poison has been completely neutralized… and what's more, the antidote seemed to make her blood absorb some of it so we believe her immune system is now blocked against any sort of poisoning ever again. She needs to regain her strength though… her body is considerably weakened. We would suggest much rest and relaxation… she has made it fervently clear that she wishes to return to Costa del Sol to recuperate. I think that one of you whom she trusts should stay with her to help her return to full health… but you will work that out amongst yourselves. We two will be back shortly; we must gather the necessary medicines she will need to fight off any possible infections from both the poison and the antidote. Please excuse us," the Mideel doctor explained. The two professionals then left to complete their task.

Everyone looked at each other expectantly. Then everyone volunteered at once. They all wanted to help out. Cloud put a stop to it all though rather quickly.

"No… Yuffie, you are still in intense training with your father. He would be highly upset if you pushed it aside for even a month or two. Cid and Shera, you two are working on the new airship fleet for the new government, so you're out. Red, you've got people to lead. Vincent… restoration of the manor shouldn't be put off… I am sure you would also hate being around Costa del Sol. It's very hot there, and Tifa and Denzel are very socially popular and active. They have lots of visitors constantly, so Denzel tells me. Barret, you've got to run the bar… as Tifa asked you to. And Elmira, you've got the school to take care of. I only have the delivery service, and that has been getting less business lately because everyone is getting more into traveling. I will volunteer myself to help her heal back to her full health," he explained. Everyone was rather shocked at how… intelligent his remarks were.

"Well damn, Cloud, under that spike you've got some sort of brain. Who knew? Well that settles it… Cloud's gonna be livin' with our girl and takin' care of her. Boy, you better do a good job, or else," Barret warned, pointing his gun at Cloud. The blonde only smiled and shook his head.

"Will do," he responded, relaxing now that it was taken care of. Denzel came to sit next to him, and they sat quietly for a few moments until the boy spoke his thoughts.

"Cloud… I think you're finally growing into your brain," he remarked before giving the hero a large grin and a pat on the shoulder. Cloud just gaped at the boy as he turned to talk to Yuffie, and shook his head. Tifa was a good influence on Denzel… he would surely grow up well.

When Tifa finally awoke, the nurse made sure she was fed before allowing the preparations for her release be made. Everyone came to say goodbye to her before they went on their own ways. They all promised to visit her, and finally Cloud was left alone with her. Denzel had gone with Marlene and Barret to wave them off. Tifa and Cloud just gazed at each other for a few long moments.

"You don't mind that I'm going to help look after you, do you?" Cloud asked, rubbing the back of his head in an embarrassed pose. Tifa shook her head.

"Nope. Thank you for volunteering," she said quietly. Cloud smiled at her, making her heart lurch and her mind whirl.

"It's not a problem. Everyone volunteered, but they've all got their projects going on so I told them to go back to their lives. The delivery service isn't too important right now… I haven't had a customer in a few weeks actually," he told her. Tifa was shocked at all the support her friends had offered, but she didn't say anything about it. Instead she made small talk with Cloud about menial things; mostly about her house and the sunshine town. She was slightly nervous about living with him again, having him take care of her, but somewhere inside she also felt a warm calm. It pricked her pride to feel so helpless, but she might as well make the best of it.

Denzel returned shortly, and the doctors and the nurse helped them into the helicopter, giving them the medicine and instructions before waving them off. They promised to come back for a checkup when she was restored to normal, and then took off for the coast.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Okay, finally got Chapter 5 out! It took awhile only because I got really busy with school and work... my apologies! Wow, please keep reviewing... you guys buoy me up! Oh, just a warning, this chapter is really **_long _**so yeah... It was 4 pages in Word with a small font! Hehe hope you enjoy... Cloud's first full day of taking care of Tifa!

**Disclaimer: **I've said it before and I'll say it again: All characters, places, and past events (unless otherwise noted) belong to Square Enix.

**To My Reviewers:**

**kaosu: **Thanks! Please keep reading... I hope you continue enjoying it!

**peepil: **Thank you as well... I will continue updating as long as I keep my muse!

**Syneiam: **Tons of thanks!

**beebee: **Yeah, sorry I did! Haha don't worry I think it'll make her stronger in the end, neh?

**ChErRyBlOsSoMs-FlOwErOfDeAtH: **oO I think I got your name right... sorry if I didn't lol :) Well, Cloud is slowly emerging from his cloud of stupidity ;)

**Kiome-Yasha: **Thank you so much! Yah, CloTis are awesome aren't they? They make such a perfect couple! I wasn't a big fan of Aerith ever lol.

**Stephanie: **Yes... like most men he is rather dense. Oh well, what can you do but love them:)

**MysticDragonEyes: **Thank you for reviewing every chapter! I really hope I continue to give you good content so you continue enjoying the story and feeling their emotions. This chapter is just establishing a few things... but I will have some very cute and tenderly raw emotions coming up in the next chapters.

**macalaniaprincess: **Yes, well, she is awake but there is quite a loooong road ahead for these two! Let's hope there aren't too many bumps along the way

**Megan: **Yay another who feels their emotions! I'm so happy I am getting such a positive response... I will continue, don't worry! So many plans for the two unsuspecting lovebirds... nyeh hehe :8)

**Ben: **Thank you for reviewing... update is here! YAY!

**lady-nephthys: **Here he goes, starting out! I think he does a pretty good job at first, don't you? Granted, he's only getting started!

Please keep reading and reviewing, everyone! Thank you all so very much! Now on with Chapter 5!

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The helicopter ride back to Costa del Sol was much different than the previous one. Denzel was able to appreciate being in a helicopter and took notice of the world flying by beneath and around them. Tifa rested with her eyes closed and Cloud sat absorbed in his thoughts. Suddenly, Denzel exclaimed, capturing their attention.

"Dolphins! Look!" he said excitedly, pointing at the aquatic mammals jumping out of the water. His eyes were huge with amazement, and Cloud leaned over to look as well.

"Oh wow, that is amazing!" he exclaimed, surprising Tifa at his childlike appreciation of the creatures. Denzel went into a lengthy discussion on them with Cloud, and Tifa just gazed at him without being noticed. She felt like she was seeing a whole different side of Cloud that no one ever got to see, and it made her want to melt inside. She then sighed, but due to the noisiness of the chopper she went unheard. The rest of the journey was filled with the chatter between Denzel and Cloud, and when they landed Tifa was thoroughly beginning to enjoy seeing them so easy together way too much. She tried to step outside of the copter herself, but her legs were too weak to support her weight and she would have completely embarrassed herself if it weren't for Cloud swiftly whisking her into his arms and carrying her towards the town. Denzel carried the small bag of medicine as he followed behind, and Tifa tried hard to hide her slight discomfort at not being able to walk on her own. It felt too good to be in the arms of the man she still loved, and she really wished she could have walked to save herself the springing up of unwanted feelings and sensations.

She directed Cloud to her house and was taken to her bedroom. As he tried to place Tifa on the bed, she began struggling.

"No Cloud, I don't want to lay in bed all day long! It's still daylight outside… I can be relaxing on the couch instead of lying in here. I will not let you force me into sleeping when it's so nice out and still not even dark yet," she demanded, her eyes glinting. Cloud saw her determination and quickly gave up, taking her to the living room and placing her gently on the couch. He made sure she was comfortable before getting himself acquainted with her home. It looked small on the outside but it really wasn't. It had a full size kitchen, dining area, two bedrooms, a living area, everything one would need when living as a single parent. After his self-given tour, Cloud returned to the living room to find that Tifa was making sure Denzel was getting caught up on his homework. Just as he was advancing into the room and preparing to sit next to her, a knock resounded. He paused a moment, having never been one to answer the door much in the past, but finally moved to open it. There on the other side stood a young man with a handsome, rich appearance about him. He had neatly cut and combed black hair, startling green eyes, and a lean physique. Immediately Cloud was on guard against the stranger.

"H-hello… erm, I've come to see Tifa and Denzel," the man said, sounding slightly nervous but overall pretty confident. Cloud's mind began whirling; who was this man and why was he sounding so familiar with Tifa and her son?

"Okay. Who might you be? Tif's a little tired right now from the journey and I won't let you see her unless you have important business," he said, crossing his arms.

"I'm the sort-of mayor of the town, Genko. I wanted to apologize to her for what happened… I feel so responsible," the other man returned, shedding some light on the situation.

"Ah, I gotcha. So you're like the town leader here? Well I'm Cloud Strife, long time friend of Tifa's. You can come in but only for a little while," he returned, shaking the man's hand before letting him in. Genko thanked him before hurrying towards Tifa. She seemed surprised to see him. As soon as Denzel saw the man enter the room, he grabbed up his homework and headed for his room.

"Genko! What brings you here already?" she queried curiously. He took her comment the wrong way and immediately began apologizing.

"Oh, I'm so sorry for everything Tifa! I wish I hadn't sent you after that creature! I heard how close a call it was… how everyone thought you weren't going to make it but you did. I feel like it's all my fault… I should try to get more than just a one person force to defend the town from attacks. Please forgive me!" he gushed quickly. Tifa's eyes widened considerably, then her face softened.

"Oh you silly man, don't worry about it. I volunteered for the job, remember? I enjoy helping out by using my abilities. It keeps me in shape. Besides, if I hadn't been here to protect you then this town would be a disaster area… you saw how huge that thing was!" she said, calming him down.

"But I still feel as if I should have done something…" the mayor returned, sighing sadly.

"Hey, none of that. It's not your fault at all. If you must blame something, blame the monster for attacking us," Tifa returned, getting weary of battling his somewhat selfish insecurities. When she had been getting used to life in the village, the mayor had been one of the males interested in dating her. If she hadn't been so stuck on Cloud, his slight case of annoying selfishness would have most definitely put her off. "I'm a bit tired now… my medicine does that. Could we maybe talk later? I would like to get some rest," she added suggestively. Genko seemed about to go into another spiel of apologizes when Cloud cleared his throat from the kitchen archway, his face set into a scowl. The guest hurried to rise.

"O-of course Tifa. You get your rest! I'll just be going now. Goodnight. Nice meeting you Mr. Strife," Genko said as he headed to the door. Cloud ushered him out and shut the door firmly before turning to look at Tifa. Her eyes clearly spoke of her weariness and she sighed back into the couch cushions.

"Would you like anything before you rest?" he queried, concern etched upon his face. She was touched to see him acting so sweet, and rather caught by surprise. She couldn't really think of a time when he'd been this sweet to her before.

"Um well… yes actually. I would appreciate a cool glass of water with ice. I'm parched," she responded hesitantly, still finding it hard to have someone pretty much wait on her hand and foot. Cloud nodded and strode into the kitchen to fix the drink. As he walked past her, Tifa caught herself watching him, and she noticed that he still had his usual outfit on. Sometimes she wondered if he just never felt like picking out other things to wear and so continually washed and wore the same thing, or if he had twenty of each part of his ensemble in his closet. Truthfully, she had never really had the nerve to snoop through his closet, so she had no idea. When he returned with the drink, he noticed her regarding him oddly.

"Tifa? Is there something on my face?" he asked, bringing her out of her thoughts. She smiled, taking the glass gratefully and draining a quarter of the liquid before answering.

"No… but I was curious. Do you wash your outfit over and over? I've just never seen you wear anything else since after we defeated Sephiroth and Meteor," she commented, surprised at the fact that she was actually asking him something so silly. Her curiosity had just gotten the best of her this time. Cloud was surprised and looked down at his clothes, then shrugged, looking back at her with a small smirk.

"I have two or three duplicates of it at home. I just never really feel like wearing anything else because umm… I never can seem to find clothes I like that fit just right," he admitted, his cheeks reddening slightly. Tifa thought it adorable but didn't dare say so.

"Oh I see. Picky huh?" she asked, giggling. The sound was like heavenly bells in his ears, but Cloud just sort of nodded. "Well there's a seamstress just down the street who creates some of the best outfits I've ever seen for women or men. If you're in the market for new clothes or just want to see what she has to offer, her door is marked with a sign that says 'Fashion By Zerelda'. You can't miss it," she offered. Cloud nodded again, filing that information away as she finished the water. When she sat it down on the table, he moved closer to her.

"So do you want to nap here or in your bed?" he asked, then noticed the automatic defense flaring up in her eyes. He immediately knew what she was thinking. "Hey now, don't worry. You'll be back on your feet in a day or two and then you won't have to feel so helpless. Let me play the nurse to the fullest while I can," he told her, shocking the protest away. Tifa could have sworn she heard a note of teasing in his voice… but Cloud never teased. He was usually so serious or absentminded.

"I know… thank you again for helping me out. It means a lot to me. I guess I will just choose the bedroom because my muscles ache and I think the mattress there will be more beneficial than the cushions on this couch," she finally returned. Her 'nurse' nodded and deftly picked her up as if she were a feather, then carried her to her room. After making sure she was comfortable and needed nothing else, he wished her a good nap and left, closing the door for her privacy. He then washed her glass and began tinkering in the kitchen.

When Tifa awoke some hour and a half later, she blinked in surprise at the wonderful aroma filling her nostrils. Had one of her friends come over to fix supper? Moving up in bed, she wondered what sort of horrible disarray her appearance was in and knew it had to be bad. She had never really considered herself a beauty because her tomboyish tendencies overruled any attraction boys might have had to her in her adolescence, but she didn't find herself ugly or unpleasant by any means. However, at that moment she felt as if she probably looked a fright and cursed her luck at not having the strength to get up and fix it, then chastised herself for fretting. What was the big deal? Cloud had seen her millions of times before; it didn't really make sense to try to impress him. However, she couldn't squash the desire to look her best before him.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the man himself, coming to check on her. He opened her door gently, then peered at her. Noticing that she was awake, Cloud smiled widely.

"Feel better?" he asked, opening the door fully. Tifa only nodded, pulling her fingers through her hair in an attempt to calm some of the tangles. Cloud saw what she was doing and offered her the brush she always kept on her dresser. She took it and thanked him as she worked all the tangles loose, her dark brown locks shining with the brushing. Cloud tried not to stare and Tifa pushed away her discomfort at him watching her do an everyday task. When she finished, she handed the object back to him and again noticed the smell. A large grin landed on her face as she asked about it.

"Mind telling me what that heavenly scent is?" Cloud only smiled at her as he replaced the brush on the dresser.

"Supper. Hungry?" he returned, to which she nodded vigorously. Chuckling, he moved to pick her up, and this time she was so eager for the delicious smelling food that she helped hoister herself into his arms. Once she was deposited in a chair at the kitchen table, she looked around for the cook, then noticed the huge supper that had her mouth watering. A grilled chicken sat at the center, barbeque sauce lightly brushed over it, and other entrees surrounding it. Corn that sparkled golden in the light, some sort of greens, macaroni and cheese, and large round rolls with butter gleaming on their tops spoke to Tifa's rumbling stomach like rain to a desert. A reddish liquid sat in a pitcher and three places were sat.

"Wow… where did all this come from? It looks like a gourmet meal!" she exclaimed, inhaling the scents again that were now much stronger since she was so close.

"Actually… I cooked it. After you went to sleep I looked around in here for food because I remember your night time medicine mentioning it should be taken with a full stomach and I figured you'd be starving. I had to go out to the market to get some of the ingredients. The drink is a tea the doctors in Mideel told me about; it is supposed to help speed up the detoxifying process your body is going through. Plus it tastes great! I already tried it," he told her. Tifa just stared at him in shock just as Denzel came in.

"Hi Mom! Hi Cloud! Wow this looks great… you did a good job Cloud!" he said, taking a place near Tifa. She turned her head to him then.

"Where have you been? You knew Cloud was cooking?" she asked, then turned to Cloud. "Where did you learn to cook?" Both males just chuckled at her. Denzel went first.

"I went next door to ask Martin a question about some of my homework, and he started when I left and made sure I got there safely," he told his mother, then looking to Cloud.

"I had to learn to cook while I was out training to be a SOLDIER. Else I would have died from spontaneous combustion at the hands of the disgusting plastic foods they served us," he explained, making a face which Denzel laughed at and even the shocked Tifa giggled. She was just so overwhelmed by all these new revelations about Cloud and realized in a flash that she really only knew some of the layers that made up his character. The rest he kept buried real deep… it really said something that he was actually letting them see more of him.

Cloud finally took his seat and they all three began working on the meal which was as delicious as it smelled. By the time they were all satiated, the chicken was only half gone – plenty for leftovers the next day. Tifa watched Cloud and Denzel do the dishes and put away the chicken and toss the rest, a tingling warmth wrapping itself around her heart. Seeing the two fit so naturally together as a team, like a father and son, really made her longing for Cloud return. She struggled with trying to suppress it and succeeded partially when she was given her medicine and taken back to her bedroom. She was tired again and only desired a full night's rest. Cloud promised to be up early to see Denzel off to school, then wished her a great night before leaving her to her thoughts.

As her eyes closed, Tifa's mind slowly played over the day's events, and she continued relishing the fact that Cloud was slowly opening himself up to her after so many long years of patient waiting. Perhaps they would never be together, but she certainly would enjoy being his closest confidante when he had gone so long without one. A small smile was on her lips as she surrendered to the world of dreams.

Not too long later Cloud was relaxing onto the rather comfortable couch, his eyes drifting closed. He was drained from the day's events, and just as sleep began to overtake him he realized with a start that he had totally forgot to talk to Shera about his wish to get closer to Tifa without putting her off. Oh well, there was all day tomorrow to do that. His mind finally let him slip into blessed sleep, one that would give him more rest than most of the ones he'd had the past few years.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **Hello again all you wonderful readers out there! I am back with Chapter 6... it's been a week since the last one... :) I have a feeling my chapters are going to stay this length or get longer as we go along, but I don't mind that. It only gives you that much more to read, right? This chapter sets up a few things for later, and just shows them interacting with each other and getting more comfy with the other. The next couple chapters will introduce a few new characters and a new plot twist... hehe. :-) Oh, and I just wanted to say that I'm not sure when chapter 7 will come out because next week is finals week, but I will be working on this a little between studying and moving out of the dorms (for good thank the Lord) so just a heads up! I'll try to update ASAP, but no promises. I will soon have enough free time to go through and read all of your fanfiction as well, which I look forward to doing. So stay tuned! Now, enough babbling, on with the thanks to my reviewers!

**Disclaimer: **All characters, places, and some past events are ©Square Enix. Thank you very much:)

**Thanks:**

**Syneiam:** Glad you liked it! I think Cloud's got a really sweet side hidden, neh? Of course, he wouldn't be very interesting if he was just an emotionless psycho (thinking about the game here) all the time:P

**atOmicsquid: **I like your metaphors :) Hehe yeah, well, I don't think a big bonk on his head would have worked better for Cloud.

**Rend: **I plan to make a few twists and turns in the near future, but overall I hope you continue enjoying it!

**perfectedhell: **Not much of a CloTi fan! Why ever not:P J/k! I wasn't too much of an Aeris fan when I first played the game, but I can see the potential in her now. I guess we all have our faves... but I'm really glad you're enjoying this one! It warms my heart '.'

**Kiome-Yasha: **Thank you very kindly! I tried to make Genko pretty annoying, but he's going to be even more annoying in the future. Hehe. I actually wasn't hungry when I wrote Chapter 5 but after I wrote about the feast I got hungry too! LoL. I'm glad to hear you're putting it in your favorites!

**cLoTiHeArT: **He can be, can't he? Hehe... updated just for you the readers!

**lady-nephthys: **Sankyou, sankyou! Cloud says thank you too, although a little cockily ;) returns the hug Hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Santa: **big beaming smile Wow, it's great to hear that! I'm so happy you really like it that much... I know the feeling there too. I get caught up reading a lot, and now that I'm writing this, I just want to work on it all the time and see what happens next because I'm not really too sure yet myself! I hope I continue to live up to your opinion that this is a really good fic!

**ShadowligerV:** I plan on finishing this one... and it will make the first story I've ever actually completed haha I'm so bad. It's all thanks to the support I'm getting that I keep writing!

**Mystic Dragon Eyes: **Yeah... we see a bunch of sides of Cloud in the game and the movie, but hey, he's still a human who has other emotions besides all those negative ones! Hopefully I can continue developing that other part without losing the game and movie Cloud in the process!

**Yukijorou88: **Thank you so much! I have online message board and MU roleplaying to thank for the development of my writing skills... without those I probably wouldn't be able to make it to where you actually see what I'm trying to describe very well:-D

**Tangymatangtang:** Thanks for your review! Haha, don't worry, I will try my hardest not to stop until this fic is finished completely, but we still have a long ways to go... Hope you keep following it!

Thanks so much for your reviews! Alright, now on with the chapter!

* * *

The next morning Cloud awoke well before the sun and began readying himself for the day. After taking a shower and other menial morning tasks, he decided Denzel might enjoy a nice breakfast before going to school. He was headed that way when the cell phone he carried in his pocket started to vibrate. Slightly annoyed that someone would call this early, he looked at the screen. The number was unrecognizable so he ignored the call. Hoping they wouldn't call back, the blonde made his way into the kitchen and mulled over what to fix. Finally he decided on a simple breakfast of eggs, bacon, and toast. The deliciously greasy smells of bacon began to fill the house, giving the sleeping Tifa yummy dreams and waking Denzel up.

He joined Cloud in the kitchen, yawning as he stared at the warrior fixing breakfast. "Gee Cloud I never knew you cooked this much! Supper last night and now breakfast too? Do you do this often?" he inquired, intrigued. Cloud might have a few marbles loose in his head but Denzel still looked up to the fact that he had saved the planet twice now. Cloud smirked at the boy as he started on the toast.

"Actually I haven't cooked an actual meal for at least a couple of months. Are you hungry?" he returned, placing the bread on the remnants of bacon grease in the pan to fry. It only took a few moments before he was adding two more slices and repeating the process.

"Umm yeah I am. I'm gonna go get dressed," Denzel replied, his mouth watering at the delectable meal being fixed. The redheaded youth disappeared into his room as Cloud finished up the meal and began setting it all out on the table. As he was preparing to pour up some strawberry-mango juice that was in the fridge his cell phone began vibrating again. Looking at the caller ID, Cloud saw that it was the same number again and so he just turned off his phone. He really had no desire to talk to someone he didn't know right now, and if they needed something they could leave him a message. Denzel returned dressed and ready for the day, and they sat down and ate. After they were done, Denzel ran off to say bye to Tifa and get his bag. Cloud cleared off part of the table, then went to see the boy off. Denzel seemed excited to see his friends again and waved enthusiastically at Cloud as he headed for the school. Shaking his head, Cloud returned to the kitchen to finish cleaning up and was shocked to find Tifa sitting at the table in her red silk robe. Her eyes were cheerful as she turned to him.

"Morning Cloud. Looks like you did a good job with breakfast today," she greeted happily.

"Good morning. Thanks… are you hungry?" he returned, wondering how she was already up and walking. She saw the question in his eyes and smiled.

"Yes I am. Famished, in fact. That medicine is really remarkable, don't you think? I can already use my legs again but I will admit that they're very weak. It took all my energy to get here from my room. But if I work at it I think I'll be able to get stronger," she told him, watching as he began fixing her a plate.

"Yes, that is great to hear. Just remember that I'm here for you if you need anything at all. I'm not going anywhere," he told her sincerely as he sat the plate before her. Tifa stared at him for a moment, wondering where that had come from.

"Thank you, Cloud. You have no idea how much it means to me," she said in a voice barely above a whisper, picking up her utensils and beginning her meal. Cloud nodded, watching her silently for a few seconds before turning to start the dishes. Tifa ate quickly and thanked Cloud as he took her dishes and finished cleaning up. Shifting uncomfortably, she bit her bottom lip a moment before finally speaking. "Do you think you can give me a hand back to my room? I want to get dressed but I'm not sure if my legs will make it there…" she said, her cheeks turning a soft shade of pink in embarrassment. Cloud smiled softly at her.

"Of course, it's no problem at all," he returned, helping her stand. Once she was steady on her feet, he held out his arm and she took it, letting him almost lead her to her room. There she thanked him again before he left her to get dressed. When she was ready she made her way to the living room using the walls and whatnot as support, then Cloud met her halfway to help her to the couch. After she was seated, he sat next to her.

"Cloud… would you be willing to assist me in exercising to get back my strength? I want to start today but I wanted to make sure it was alright…" Tifa started. Cloud found the fact that she was so unsure of herself rather endearing.

"Tif… I told you that I would be here to help you, and I meant it. Yes I will help you exercise, anything you want," he responded, looking her in the eyes. Both were caught up in a moment then, and Tifa read something different in his expression as he regarded her. He was looking at her in a different way than before, and she felt warmth running over her body. Suddenly she realized that she was holding her breath and had to look away to inhale. When she returned her gaze to him he was smiling softly at her. Unnerved a bit, she cleared her throat.

"I'm sorry that I sound like I don't believe you, but I just don't want to be more of a burden on you than I already am," she added, to which Cloud only shook his head.

"You're not a burden at all, and don't you ever think that," was his slightly terse reply.

"Well, I think I should just start by walking around the house today," she responded, pushing herself up off the couch. Cloud immediately hopped up and stood waiting to assist her. She took his offered arm and they began slowly walking about the house. Tifa limped at first but soon found her strength and was able to walk without stumbling. However, once they had done about ten rounds throughout the house, she was exhausted and told Cloud so, and once again she collapsed onto the couch.

"Your medicine is really something. I would have thought it would take at least a couple of weeks before you were able to walk again," he remarked as he sat again beside her. Tifa nodded.

"Yes it is…" was her only response before she fell into thoughtful silence. Cloud sensed she had something on her mind so he waited, and finally she spoke again a few minutes later. "You want to know something funny? I actually miss the bar… I mean, it was such a big part of my life for so many years. It's kind of weird not having it anymore. Now, don't get me wrong… I love this town! I always thought I was a city girl but living here showed me that I might be more of a small town girl. I couldn't imagine going back to Midgar to live in all that smog and pollution after being around so much sunshine all the time. I just miss tending the bar and running things… I mean, they have a bar here but it's so small… it wouldn't be the same at all," she told him, opening herself up a little. Cloud was surprised at her confession at first, then after he thought about, the surprise went away.

"Yeah, I can imagine how you would miss it. You did a great job of running the business…" he told her sincerely. She had been good at owning a bar; she knew all the tricks to serving drinks and conversation to her customers as well as hospitality and comfort that kept them coming back day after day.

"Ah well… I guess there's really no use thinking about it. Right now I won't be doing much of anything… I'm really glad I have so much gil saved up still from after we beat Sephiroth the first time," she said, stretching her legs out in front of her. She began pointing and flexing her toes, then finally relaxed again. Looking again at the man she loved, her mind wandered to another topic. "So what's been happening with the delivery service lately? You said business has been slow… any reason why?" Cloud thought on the question before giving his answer.

"I don't really know. I guess I sort of slacked on a few deliveries and now customers aren't really coming in as much. Or maybe they've found business with another service? Although I don't really know of any that are out there besides mine," he responded. Honestly, he hadn't really given it much thought. The service gave him something to do with his time rather than provided any significant income. Cloud never had been one to worry about money, and after they were practically millionaires after saving the world he really had no need to worry. Plus if he needed money he could just go out in a forest and kick a few monster butts.

"Oh, well I guess there's really no way of knowing for sure right now. Maybe you'll get more business soon," Tifa said in response. They continued chatting lightly about miscellaneous things and before they knew it lunch time had arrived. Neither were very hungry after the large breakfast so they just relaxed; Tifa took a nap and Cloud remembered that he needed to call Shera so he moved to the kitchen. However, when he opened his phone he saw the two missed calls and that he had a new message. Curiosity got the better of him and so he dialed into the voice mail service. After going through the password entry and selecting 'hear new message' he listened intently.

"_Hello Mr. Strife. This is Vigorio Lucenzi, and I have a delivery I need taken care of. Perhaps you would be interested? I am the assistant manager of a company called Nineteen And One. We produce a new line of products that are directed towards the younger generations such as clothing, accessories, jewelry, makeup, and other things like that. Recently we upgraded from our small base on the Northern Continent to a larger upscale factory, and now stores have decided to sell our merchandise. We need someone reliable to make the first large delivery across the entire planet to major stores in every major city and town. I have heard of your abilities and am quite impressed. There will be good money and other various rewards for you upon completion of the delivery. If you agree to help out, please call me back at 964-236-3214. We hope to hear from you soon."_

After saving the message, Cloud stared at his phone silently. A huge delivery like that would bring in plenty of good business for the service, and as much as he saw it as a project to keep him from being bored, he felt a certain obligation to keep it going and maybe even make it grow. However, he had a major problem: he wasn't about to leave Tifa. He had a few guys who had helped out a little in the past, but none of them possessed enough of his trust or respect to be given charge of this job. Suddenly, Reeve flashed into his mind. When Cloud had lost his last phone in the Forgotten City after the battle with Kadaj, Loz and Yazoo, he had went out and purchased a new one with Vincent who was wanting to seem more 'cool' after Marlene's comment on his lack of a phone. Not long after getting it going again, Reeve had given him a call, saying that he had tried before and wanted to help with the service. Cloud had told him that business was really slow but that he would let him know if something changed. Reeve may have been a spy of Shinra but in the end he had saved them, and so Cloud was now willing to give him the responsibility of getting this job done.

After placing the call to Reeve, who was very enthused and positive about the idea, Cloud had to make a few more calls to the guys that had helped out before. Finally it was all settled that they would come and meet him in a few days, and so he was free to give Vigorio a call back. The secretary put him through to the man who sounded very pleased and they arranged the first meeting. Vigorio was more than agreeable to coming to Costa del Sol to meet with Cloud after he told him his situation, and so they set the meeting for the next day. Finally, after so many phone calls that his ears were ringing, Cloud hung up and replaced his phone in his pocket. Shera could wait another day or two he decided. When he returned to the living room Tifa was awake again and watching a news channel on the television. She smiled up at him as he resumed his seat next to her.

"Getting more business?" she inquired innocently, her expression guileless. Then at his suspicious look she giggled. "Sorry, I overheard snippets of your conversations," she told him with a slight shrug. It was a good thing he hadn't called Shera after all. He definitely wouldn't want the cat out of the bag before he was ready.

"Yeah… a new company wants a huge shipment done. Reeve wanted to help me out so I gave him control over this and called a few of the guys to help him. The man who called me from the company is coming tomorrow to meet with me over the delivery," he said, his voice as calm and monotone as usual. Tifa was excited for him, however.

"That's great Cloud! Imagine how much business you'll get once you pull this off without a hitch! You could become real big… global even!" she said, her faith in his abilities quite apparent in her eyes. Slightly shaken over that expression, Cloud coughed.

"Yes well _if_ it's pulled off without a hitch. You never know when something terribly wrong could happen," he told her, ever the same old bubble buster.

"Oh you're always so pessimistic! You're a great person, your friends love you, you've been forgiven, and you're going to do this job with such finesse that this company will want you for every delivery they need!" she exclaimed happily. Cloud just shrugged, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"We'll see if you're right," was his only response. Tifa felt like slapping him upside his head, but restrained herself.

"Which I will be. Ha, let's make a bet. If I am right, then you have to take me out to a really nice fancy dinner somewhere in Midgar! And if I am wrong… then you get to decide what I will do for you," she told him, sticking out her hand. He eyed the hand, then looked squarely at her.

"Alright, it's a deal," he responded, taking her hand and shaking it firmly. He held onto it a moment longer than necessary and as she brought her hand back to her lap, Tifa couldn't shake the tingling sensation. She had thought she was getting over him, but now she saw that she was only deluding herself. If anything, she was now even worse for him. Look at him, being so sweet and everything! How could she not fall deeper? With an inward sigh, Tifa realized that she was slowly getting closer and closer to that point… the point where she would just get sick and tired of holding everything in and spill everything. That terrified her because already she could see her pouring out her heart with all she had only to get rejected. This time it would break her… years of ignorance she could survive, but to be rejected like that? It would be a miracle if she made it through alive. And she was more scared of that than of anything she had ever been scared of in her life, even being alone.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **Thanks again to all my wonderful reviewers! I finally am done with finals yay aren't you excited? Yah sure Haha anyways... so I have a free summer except for work woohoo. Don't know how often I'll update, but I'll try to keep it going steadily! Thanks so much for R/R:D Sorry if this chappie's a lil short... I'm on my b/fs computer since mine won't be plugged up until next friday or saturday so it's hard to type without word or a decent keyboard whose keys don't get stuck ;) LoL. I'll make up for it next chapter! But this chappie is cute... and **!_warning_!**, has somewhat sexual themes, not really tho.

**Thanks:**

**cLoTiHeArT: **Hehe yeah well it takes time ;) Don't worry, they're well on their way tho!

**Rend: **You haven't seen the movie, or what? Erm... well he looks redheaded to me shrugs Hey now, by the time I finished 7 I had sooo much friggin' gil I was like woah... they really need banks, I dunno how they keep it all in their pockets XD

**atOmicsquid: **Haha well it's just something I came up with from the top of my head... prolly cuz I've been playing Grand Theft Auto lately. And where am I going? Hmm, we shall see ;)

**ShadowligerV: **Yeah... don't we all? I've had so many moments like that myself...

**perfectedhell: **Oh really? Well you know I get tired of all his macho unemotional stuff...I figure it's time to let him grow s'more And yeah,I could see Aeris and Zack... that would be cute. THanks, I'm happy they're over with (went well btw) and am excited to be gettin out of the dorms!

**demonic girl, Dark-luver-forever, Mystic Dragon Eyes, Aurora Rehona, Meeeee, PandyBas, goatgod: **Thanks to you all so much for your reviews! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter yay 'tis so cute :D Hehe... enjoy!

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The rest of the afternoon went by rather quickly, and soon Denzel was returning from school. He had a huge beaming smile on his face as he walked in the door, his red hair more tousled than usual. Tifa eyed him curiously, a sideways grin on her face.

"Welcome home. What have you been up to, mister?" she queried, glancing down at her wrist as if she had a watch on, then back at him. She already knew what time it was; a half hour later than the time Denzel usually returned from school.

"Hehe... nothing much really..." he replied, drawing out the really with a mischievious look on his face. He came to sit next to Tifa, putting his bag next to him.

"Right... like I really believe that. You're later than usual," she responded with a no-nonsense look in her eyes. Denzel tried keeping quiet, but soon was gushing his news out to her.

"I was going to stay after class and get some tutoring, but my teacher was busy, so I was leaving until a girl in my class stopped me. Her name is Eilianna... she's so nice. She helped me with some of the stuff I was behind in, then said we could get together every day this week until I'm caught up! What a great girl..." he said, his voice holding a different note than usual. Tifa caught on immediately.

"And is Eilianna pretty?" she asked nonchalantly, as if it was just a side thought. Denzel's eyes shined as he replied.

"No... she's beautiful. Absolutely! Pretty is too petty a word to describe her..." Tifa tried staying serious, but an excited giggle made its way out of her lips.

"I think you have a crush! Aww... I don't know if I'm happy or sad. I think I'm both," she told him, thoughtful. Then she eyed his messy hair. "What's up with the 'do?" she questioned. Denzel blushed then.

"Erm... Eilianna walked me outside and then her hair ribbon, which was loose, fell out of her hair and went flying in the wind. I chased it down and got it back for her," he said, still smiling. Tifa just shook her head, then hugged him.

"Well I'm happy that you found you someone to turn you into a gentleman, if nothing else," she told him teasingly. Denzel gave her a look in return just as Cloud walked in the door. Tifa sensed his presence before she saw him, so she started speaking immediately. "Hey there you are Cloud! I looked around and saw that you had just left... you're real quiet... where'd you go--" Suddenly she stopped, for she had turned to look at him. Denzel's mouth was hanging open, and soon Tifa's joined his. Cloud was completely transformed. He had on an entirely new outfit consisting of khaki pants with a black belt and a button-up dark royal blue shirt which currently had two buttons undone at the top, exposing part of his muscled chest. The long sleeves were rolled up to just above his elbows. He also had on some different shoes than normal; instead of boots he wore some sort of dress shoe.

"Wow..." was all Tifa could say, and Denzel nodded his agreement. Tifa's eyes wandered over Cloud's form hungrily. He looked good in black, but dang, his new clothes totally showed what sort of body he had beneath, and it made her mouth water. She felt a blush creep up her neck as she realized that she was practically gawking, and was surprised at the direction her thoughts were taking. Sure, she had been in love with him for a long time now, but she was always dreaming about snuggling with him or kissing him; sexual thoughts had never entered her mind. Now however... her mind was working overtime. Thankfully Denzel took over the conversation so she could calm herself down, hoping he hadn't noticed the blush.

"What made you decide to get new clothes, Cloud?" Denzel questioned, eyeing the handful of bags the warrior had. Cloud, whose eyes had been rivoted on Tifa to gauge her reaction (he wasn't disappointed a bit either), looked to the boy. He shrugged slightly before speakng.

"I decided that since I am going to be meeting with a client who is used to formal attire, I should get some. Plus, your mother mentioned I had a drab wardrobe," he explained, his blue eyes agan moving to Tifa. He had noticed the blush and had enjoyed it very much... as well as her eyes roaming possessively over him. Tifa finally recovered in time to gasp and give him an offended look.

"I never called it drab! I only pointed out that you seemed to have one single outfit that you wore over and over... never did I say anything about drab," she defended huffily. Cloud resisted the urge to grin.

"Oh, so there's a difference? Well okay... your mother mentioned that I had a boring wardrobe," he corrected, speaking to Denzel. Tifa's eyes grew rounder before she finally just gave up and started laughing.

"Regardless of what I said... you look good," she told him after she had regained her composure. Cloud smiled at her then.

"Thanks... I appreciate it. It means a lot to hear that from you," he responded softly, holding her gaze intently. Denzel felt like he was interfering so he moved to leave the room, which broke the spell. They immediately both looked at him.

"Ready for homework?" Tifa asked, to which the boy groaned. He felt like he had just left school, only to return to it! After getting his grumbling out, however, he finally sat down and started on it, while Tifa read a book and Cloud put together some sandwiches for supper (they had taken a vote and no one was too terribly hungry). They ate quickly and spent the rest of the evening relaxing, playing cards and other games like that before going to bed. Tifa was able to make it to her room unassisted, and after showering, finally fell asleep. Her leg muscles were rather tired, and so she slept fitfully, as did everyone that night.

The next morning, Cloud and Denzel went through the same routine, except Tifa got up and helped fix breakfast as well. Denzel left for school, and Tifa decided to do the cleaning up herself, which earned her an argument with Cloud. After going back and forth, Tifa finally convinced Cloud that she wouldn't keel over from exhaustion, and if she needed help she would call him, so he finally let her have her way. He began getting ready for his meeting, and by the time Tifa had finished and was relaxing at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee, Cloud had put on his new formal attire. Another button up shirt, but instead of blue, it was a forest green, and was buttoned all the way up with a white tie hanging loosely around the neck. He had on the khaki pants again and the same shoes, and overall looked very professional. He came into the kitchen with a pitiful look on his face.

"Tif... I can't tie this tie for the life of me! The seamstress tried showing me but I forgot what she said," he said pitifully. Tifa just giggled before moving to help him. She gave a brief explanation as she pulled it into a knot, then patted it down. Satisfied, she smiled up at him, and was frozen in place for he was looking at her with such an intense expression in his eyes. He had a serious look on his face, and suddenly her heart beat sped up like she was running in a race. He began leaning closer, and she held her breath, afraid to move forward or backward, afraid of the consequences. Suddenly a loud musical melody sounded from his pocket, and the moment was lost. He moved back to answer, and Tifa slowly let out the breath, her heart still racing. Cloud was speaking to his possible new client, but Tifa didn't hear his words for she was still star struck by what had almost happened. Cloud was going to kiss her. The girl he had always called his best friend but had never expressed romantic interest in. What was going on here?

In that moment Tifa's universe shifted ever so slightly, and she found herself regarding him with a sense of wonder. Cloud was attracted to her, at least on some level. She knew that; why else would he attempt to kiss her? If so, then that meant that maybe she did have a chance with him after all... not daring to hope, she tried pushing the thought away, but it kept nagging at her. Finally Cloud hung up the phone, and Tifa forced her mind back to the present.

"Your client?" she asked in a strained voice. Cloud looked at her then, nodding.

"Yep. He's just landing... I'm to go meet him at the port. I guess I'll see you when I'm done... feel free to call if you need anything," he told her, replacing the phone in his pocket and giving her a smile. Tifa walked with him to the door, wishing him luck as he left, then turned, still shell shocked. Whatever happened in future, there was no way things would ever be the same between them. Even if the act hadn't quite occured, it was _meant _to.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** SO SORRY runs in a bows apologetically I haven't updated in sooo long because I was without internet while I was moving into my new apartment... :( So yeah... I haven't had the chance to update! But here's Chapter 8... I hope it satisfies you all! Thanks so much for your reviews, keep them coming. Next time I'll be sure to thank you individually... today I have no time. :> LOVE YOU ALL! 3 Starry Kitty

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As Cloud strode down the street towards the docks, he couldn't stop thinking about what had just almost happened. Something just came over him when Tifa tied his tie for him, her expression so sweetly earnest and concentrated on what she was doing. He felt the pull towards her as if something else was controlling his body from outside, like a magnet. Tifa's reaction had been shock, and he realized that now she was facing the truth that he felt at least something for her. Smiling lightly, he nodded to himself. That was good; he had started on his mission without really knowing it.

The helicopter that had landed on the docks was currently sitting still as a very richly dressed man in a gold embroidered business suit stepped out of it. Cloud wondered why anyone would want gold embroidery on their suit, but instead of voicing his thoughts plastered a smile on his face. The man was trim and good looking, with dark brown hair, intense grey eyes, and chiseled features. His body was slender and lithe, almost leaning towards graceful.

"Mr. Vincenzi?" Cloud said as he neared the man. Grey eyes swept over the new appearance of Cloud, some confusion in his eyes.

"Yes… are you Mr. Strife? The one who recommended you to me told me you were more informal than formal… but you look a mix of both," he said, his words sharp and precise.

"Ah well I thought I might better my image a bit to show everyone that I'm not just a warrior or mercenary," was Cloud's reply as they stopped before each other. Putting his hand out, Cloud added, "It's great to meet you."

Vigorio shook Cloud's hand then, and smiled. "Oh, the pleasure is all mine. A famous hero who saved the planet… who wouldn't want to meet you?" he asked, something unreadable in his eyes. He seemed chipper and friendly enough, though. "Shall we sit down somewhere to discuss the specifics of my delivery?" Cloud like that he was right down to business with little or no formalities. Exactly his type of businessman.

"Sure, follow me. I'm helping out a friend of mine and she said we could use her house to talk. If she's around she won't be in our way," Cloud responded, turning to lead the way to Tifa's. The trip was short and when they went inside Tifa was nowhere to be seen. They sat down in the living room and began discussing Vigorio's business. Their conversation was in depth and covered every aspect either could think of so that by the time Cloud was offering Vigorio lunch before his return trip they felt very well acquainted.

"Thanks for the offer Mr. Strife but my friends and I are going out today to eat and then to a spa. I wouldn't want to offend them if I had already eaten… you understand," the businessman said as he walked towards the door.

"I understand. Allow me to escort you to your helicopter," Cloud offered, to which Vigorio accepted. They chatted a bit about the town as they walked and soon Cloud was watching the chopper take off towards the north. As he turned to walk back to Tifa's, his mind was filled with all the new information and details they had gone over. When he stepped back inside, Tifa was laying on the couch looking quite exhausted.

"Welcome back. How'd it go?" she asked him curiously, still energetic despite her expression. Cloud immediately moved closer to inspect her.

"Good… why do you look so tired?" he queried, more worried than anything. She just laughed at his concern.

"While you were talking I took a walk about the town… visited some of my friends. My friend Eryaine is coming over tonight for supper, by the way. So tell me details! Did he like you… do you like him? Are you going to be lifelong business pals?" she asked, excited to hear the results of the meeting. Cloud just rolled his eyes at her teasingly before taking a seat next to her on the couch.

"He seemed to like me and my new appearance… I like the way he thinks. He is real short and to the point with everything, and looks at his dealings from every angle. We had a very invigorating discussion over pretty much everything you could think of. Whether we'll have future dealings is to be seen, dependant on how well I pull this off. He seems to be the type who expects everything to be done quickly and precisely the first time," he explained, his eyes glowing with the knowledge. However, something else lingered in his eyes which Tifa easily read.

"That's great! Don't look so nervous and scared… you're going to do wonderful. I told you before… remember our bet?" she asked, smiling at him. He suddenly turned towards her, leaning closer. His eyes held a similarly intense look.

"How could I forget? The chance to take you out on a date if I lose… I don't think I've ever wanted to lose a bet more," he responded, then his expression grew playful. "However… it would be fun to see what I could come up with if you lost." Tifa's face grew hot and she knew it was burning brightly red.

"Y-yeah… well you know… you don't have to lose the bet to take me out to eat somewhere," she responded, inwardly cursing her face for being so telling. A lazy smile lit up Cloud's face.

"Is that so? Why, if I didn't know better Ms. Lockheart, I would think you wanted to go out with me," he remarked, making her blush even brighter. She felt a bit edgy and nervous; Cloud had never acted so… _flirty_ with her before. It was a bit unnerving to have him all of a sudden talking to her like this. To top it all off, he was leaning over her legs closer towards her face, and she was suddenly reminded of just a couple of hours earlier when he had meant to kiss her. Would he do so now?

"Umm… well you are the planet's most adored bachelor, you know… I'm surprised you're not follow around by a whole gaggle of beautiful girls all the time," she said, teasing him to try to calm herself and regain some of the composure that she was quickly losing hold of.

"Oh is that so? So going on a date with me would only be to make other girls jealous? I see how you are…" he replied, moving back away from her. She let out a breath she hadn't been aware of holding, and then immediately was contrite for teasing him. She moved her legs off the couch and scooted closer to Cloud.

"I was only kidding! Don't be so hurt, even if it is mockingly. I wasn't trying to anger you… just get a smile out of you. You looked so serious…" she said, an earnest expression in her eyes. He looked back at her then, his face still serious.

"Why is me being serious bothering you so much? It wasn't like I was angry or anything…" he asked, watching her closely. Tifa shrugged a bit on that one; she wasn't too sure herself why it bothered her so. Then suddenly she figured it out.

"I-I guess because it frightens me… I can't read your eyes and have no idea what you're thinking…" she replied honestly. He studied her silently for a few moments, and when he spoke again his voice was much softer.

"All my life you've always been there for me, haven't you? You know more about me than any other person that I've ever known… and that's only due to your persistent nature." His comments were thoughtful, and Tifa took them the wrong way.

"I'm sorry if it offends you Cloud! I only wanted to be there for you whenever I could, ever since seeing your loneliness when we were kids. If it annoyed you, you should have said something before…" she told him, sighing a bit. Cloud immediately hastened to correct her.

"No no… it's not that at all. I'm really glad you are the way you are… and that you tried to be there for me even when I pushed you away. If it weren't for the friendship everyone shows me, especially you, I think I would probably still be out there ignoring things, like Kadaj's gang or Sephiroth's return. I just want to thank you for always being there for me," he told her, making her eyes water with the sincerity in his voice. She was barely able to keep her tears in check.

"Oh Cloud… that's probably the nicest thing you've ever said to me!" she exclaimed, closing the distance between them and latching onto him in a hug. "You don't have to thank me for it, though… never…" she added, before putting more oomph into the hug. Cloud was a bit shocked at the sudden contact then slowly closed his arms around her and returned the hug. They shared the moment for a few more minutes before finally breaking apart. "I'm hungry… are you?" Tifa asked as she put some space between them again.

"Yes I'm actually quite starved… do you want to eat here or maybe go out somewhere?" he offered. Tifa thought on that, then shrugged her shoulders.

"Let's just stay here today. I'm a bit worn out from walking around earlier and I want to be rested up for when Eryaine comes," she told him as she stood up and headed for the kitchen.

"Okay well shouldn't you be resting then? Like, sitting down?" he questioned as he stood up to follow her. She smiled at him.

"Don't worry, I just want to watch you cook. I don't feel up to arguing today… at least not right now," she responded. Truthfully she was still a bit out of sorts from all the intense feelings she had received from Cloud today. She continued seeing new sides of him and while she enjoyed it, it also frightened her for it made her want him more and more. She had only thought she was in deep as she could be before her fight with the monster; now it seemed as if there was an eternally present black void in which she was still falling.

"Alright… how does tuna sound? Not really a culinary masterpiece, but since your friend is coming for supper, I figure we should make a light lunch," he told her, receiving a nod as a response. He then began fixing lunch while Tifa watched, her heart hammering in her chest and her stomach fluttering. Her mind continued going over the almost kiss until she got tired of it and so began chit chatting with Cloud, talking of Denzel's new crush and other miscellaneous things until he had finished and they were seated to eat.

The meal was quick and simple, and once it was done Tifa went to relax on the couch with a book while Cloud cleaned up a little. Tifa tried helping him but he wouldn't allow her to move from her spot, so she gave up finally and just lost herself in the pages of the story. Soon Denzel would come home… and she was a little glad, for being alone with Cloud right now was still unsettling her nerves. She suddenly felt like she was going through what all those romance novels spoke of… and it felt so strange.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: **Oh so sorry for the long wait! I must say though, I am completely stupified... **70** reviews! Wow, you guys are just **_so freakin' awesome!_** I have decided that when I get 100 reviews, well, IF, then I'm going to do a piece of art for this chapter's big moment... and guess which it is So yeah.. next chapter I will definitely do individual thanks... but for now:

**TO ALL MY REVIEWERS: Thank you so much! I LOVE YOU ALL! hearts everywhere!**

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"Mom, I'm home!" shouted Denzel as he burst through the front door. Tifa looked up at him with an admonishing expression, one eyebrow raised, and he immediately stopped. "Sorry… I didn't mean to yell." Then the redheaded boy slowly and shyly approached her. "Mom… would it be okay if… Eilianna could come eat with us tonight?" he finally asked, slowly looking at her and fidgeting his hands in front of him. Tifa giggled.

"Of course she can. Eryaine is also coming for supper, so we're already planning on making a big meal," she told him. Denzel's eyes lit up and he grinned widely.

"Alright! Thanks mom!" he exclaimed, hugging her tightly before disappearing into his room, probably to give the girl a call. Tifa just shook her head, watching his retreating form, and laughed to herself.

"What's so funny?" Cloud asked, emerging from the kitchen where he had been preparing a few things.

"Denzel… he's invited his crush to come eat with us tonight," she informed the warrior, straightening her posture a bit.

"Ah, I see. Young love is nice to see," he commented, coming to sit next to her. "So, what do you think about having some seafood for supper? I was thinking of perhaps fried shrimp and grilled fish, with of course lemon garnish and salads," he suggested, waiting to see her response. Tifa nodded.

"Sounds good. Are you going to actually let me help you this time?" she asked, looking at him in supplication. Cloud grinned.

"Fine, just don't overexert yourself," he warned, rising to offer her a hand. She took it gingerly and let him help her up, then stretched out her muscles a bit before following him into the kitchen. They began preparing the meal, Tifa fixing the salads and other sides while Cloud worked on the shrimp and fish that was freshly purchased from the market that morning. Then Tifa set the table while Cloud laid out the food and poured drinks. Finally it was all finished, right when the doorbell rang. They looked at each other and said, "Perfect," before moving to let their guests in.

Tifa opened the door to find both her friend and Denzel's friend were standing there waiting. She hugged Eryaine before turning to introduce her to Cloud, then introduced herself to Eiliana. As the young girl walked into the house, Tifa looked her over carefully and nodded. She looked to be a good choice for Denzel. She was about average height for her age, with silky blond hair and shimmering blue, almost lilac tinted, eyes. She wore a cute ensemble of a black t-shirt with a white cartoon bunny on it and some khaki capri pants, with black flip-flops on her feet. "Denzel should be out in a moment," Tifa informed the girl, shutting the door behind them. The quartet made their way to the living room, where they took seats and chatted for a few moments, waiting on Denzel.

"How did you meet Tifa, Eryaine?" asked Cloud curiously. Eryaine seemed to be a deep thinker, almost shyly quiet. Tifa had never really been exactly a social butterfly, so he wondered how they could have become friends like they were. Eryaine answered him with a sweet voice.

"Actually, we met at the beach. Tifa has her own umbrella down there now because she goes so often, but I don't go too much. However, I happened to be down there after my kitten Charu, who had been chasing some sort of insect. I saw her prints in the sand, and followed them to the water's edge. I was terrified then that she had drowned or even been trampled by the kids around the area, and so I started asking everyone if they'd seen her. No one was really any help, and no one had seen her. However, when I came to Tifa she told me that no, she hadn't seen my kitty, but she would help me look. So we began searching along the beach and finally found her stuck beneath the docks. Tifa helped me get her out and made sure we both made it home, and I guess it just went from there," she finished, smiling at her friend. Tifa returned her smile.

"Yes, that's just like Tifa… trying to help out those in need if she can," Cloud remarked, smiling at Tifa as well. Feeling a bit self-conscious, Tifa rose.

"Let me go see if Denzel is ready yet," she said, excusing herself from them to go knock on his door. Denzel's voice was muffled as he asked her to come help him with something. Meanwhile, Cloud was talking to Eryaine still.

"Did she ever tell you that she met me when we were kids and I was a loner, but she was determined to help me? Ever since then, that's what she's been doing… helping me, believing in me. She's a great person," he said, a strange note to his voice. Eryaine smiled at that.

"Yes she is… I feel honored to be her friend," was her reply, just as Tifa and Denzel emerged from the bedroom. Everyone turned and looked, and were amazed at Denzel's appearance. His hair was the same as usual, but he was looking very clean and slick in a copy of Cloud's new wardrobe. Khaki slacks, dress shoes, and a button up shirt with a tie. Tifa was grinning as she gave him a shove forward so he could greet his guest. He walked up to her shyly and smiled.

"Hi Eiliana… thanks for coming," he said softly, clasping his hands behind his back. She smiled back.

"Hi Denzel… thanks for inviting me!" she returned, before falling silent. The two kids seemed content to stare at each other, so Tifa announced that supper was ready for them. Thankfully it had been so hot when they laid it out that it was still warm when they got there to eat it. Everyone enjoyed the meal heartily, and Eryaine seemed surprised to learn that Cloud had cooked the food and Tifa had done the rest. He just didn't look like the type to know how to cook really. Once the meal was complete, Denzel took Eiliana to his room to show her around, and Cloud ushered the women out so he could clean up. Tifa and Eryaine made their way outside to chat for a few minutes before Ery headed home.

"You know, Tifa, I think Cloud is really sweet on you," Eryaine commented knowingly. Tifa grew silent for a moment, then slowly turned to her friend.

"Huh? Why do you think that?" she asked, confused. Eryaine grinned.

"Just do. His actions and words give it away. I mean, can't you see the expression in his eyes when he looks at you?" she wondered, tilting her head. "When you went to check on Denzel, he told me what a great person you are…" she added, smiling when Tifa's eyes snapped to her. "Anyway, you don't believe me now, but it'll come out soon enough. I better get home so I can let you get back in there… thanks for the meal, it was delicious! Tell Cloud I said thanks too. 'Night Tifa," Eryaine finished, hugging Tifa before heading down the street to her house. Tifa was still in a daze from her friend's words, her mind racing. Slowly she turned and went back inside.

"Did Eryaine already leave?" Cloud asked as Tifa rejoined him in the kitchen, helping him clear off a few things.

"Yeah, I think she had some things to take care of…" Tifa replied, her voice holding a strange note. Cloud looked at her curiously.

"Tif? What's wrong?" he asked softly, finishing up cleaning and moving to stand in front of her. She looked up at him, her eyes thoughtful.

"Nothing… just thinking." Then she seemed to close off from him, so he decided to change the subject.

"So what does Eryaine do day by day? Anything really exciting?" he asked curiously. A small smile formed on Tifa's lips.

"Actually, she does something I could never do. She has such an amazing mind, and loves researching things. She's completely scientific… always trying to find out how things work and why. I've also heard it rumored that she has this ability to heal using a combination of lifestream, her own energy, and the person she's healing's willpower. It's confusing, but that's just what I've heard. She hasn't mentioned anything to me, though," she told him, shrugging. "She does her own experiments and research, and doesn't work for anyone. I have no idea where she gets money from," Tifa added.

"I see… sounds interesting," Cloud said, watching her face intensely. Suddenly Tifa felt very unsure of herself and couldn't figure out why. So she nervously began chattering.

"Yeah, interesting. I'm glad she doesn't talk to me about her experiments because I know I would just sit there with a blank look and not really offer much understanding. But she's a really nice person, and I can tell she doesn't have many friends. I feel greatly honored to be one of them…" Tifa jabbered. Cloud grinned.

"Funny, she said the exact same thing about you…" he told her, before taking a step closer. Suddenly, his left hand moved to cup her face, his thumb stroking her cheek gently. "You know… you are **so** beautiful…" he said in a deeper tone of voice that reverberated in Tifa's ears. A soft blush started on her cheeks as she stared at him in surprise.

"Cloud… what are you… I mean… I'm not _beautiful_," she protested, blinking. Cloud only smiled at that, leaning his head closer.

"You're not? Well maybe not to yourself, but I think you are… and I hope to help you change your mind about yourself too," he told him, his head slowly dipping down. Tifa's breath caught in her throat as she saw the intensity of his gaze; was this going to be it? Would it actually happen this time? Both excited and terrified at the prospect, she closed her eyes, and then felt something soft and feathery against her lips. Slowly her eyes opened halfway, and she saw that yes indeed, Cloud was kissing her. Realizing that made her adrenaline start again from being frozen in time and her heart started hammering in her chest. Feeling a million sensations from the light touch of lips against lips, she closed her eyes again, enjoying the way his hand moved from her face to her neck, playing in her hair. Finally he pulled back, gazing at her with an unreadable expression in his eyes. Tifa's eyes lazily drew open, and they stared at each other silently for a few moments.

"Wow…" was all Tifa could get out, heart still pounding. Cloud nodded, and smiled at her. She returned the smile just as Denzel's voice carried to them.

"Mom, Cloud, Eiliana's leaving… she wants to thank you guys," he said, making Cloud's hand fall from Tifa's hair and the couple to turn to the children who were just walking into the kitchen. Denzel was looking at them curiously. "What happened? You two look like you just saw rain for the first time!" he exclaimed, confused. They both laughed.

"Nothing at all. It was a pleasure having you here, Eiliana. Please come back again to see us!" Tifa said. Denzel's question had pulled her back to earth just in time.

"Thank you miss Tifa, mister Cloud. The food was great!" Eiliana said, curtsying politely. "I will come back, I promise," she added before letting Denzel escort her to the door.

"I'm going to walk her home, okay?" Denzel asked the two adults. They both nodded, and he left to take his friend home. Suddenly both Cloud and Tifa were overcome with shyness, so they talked about unimportant things until Denzel returned. His face was beaming. "Thanks guys, it was perfect! So do you like her?" he asked excitedly.

"She seems like a nice girl," was Cloud's reply, and Tifa echoed his thought.

"She's very polite and cute too. I'm happy for you, son," she told him.

"Thanks! I'm kinda tired now… so 'night guys!" Denzel said, hugging them both before heading to get ready for bed.

"That's not a bad idea… I'm tired myself. I guess… I'll see you in the morning?" Tifa asked, looking at him hesitantly. Cloud nodded.

"Yeah… have a good night Beautiful," he replied, making her jump and blush again at the name.

"Y-you too," she responded, hurrying to her room to throw herself on the bed. _'What is going on here? Did I just fall into an alternate universe? He called me beautiful… **twice**… and kissed me… and what a kiss it was…'_ she thought, smiling dreamily. She went through her nightly rituals humming a love song, and when she laid down to sleep, it came with a rush of beautiful dreams.

Cloud found sleep to be hard that night, for he had a million thoughts and feelings running through him. The one thing that kept repeating itself was the fact that now he had tasted her, he wanted more and more… like an addiction. Smiling, he fell asleep with the knowledge that it was a very good addiction.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: **Finally, chapter 10! I went on vacation for a week so I wanted to get it out before then, but it didn't happen :( So I made this one extra long XD 5 pages in Word. So yeah, enjoy this! I'll work on getting more regular on updating, but I doubt it'll happen lol. I hafta go my own pace and not set a deadline or I'll be screwed totally! Mmk, as promised, reviewer thanks are next!

**To My Reviewers:**

Each one of you is so awesome omg... **_81_** is such a great thing to see:) Here are individuals.

**Kiome-Yasha: **Haha yeah u.u Bad Tifa! Ah come on 'tis only human to think that way tho ;) Cloud can be quite kawaii when he really really wants to!

**Yukijorou88: **LoL! Yep ;) Hey now, if suddenly... -thinks- Captain Hero walked in wearing swim trunks and flipflops you'dbe shocked too! Teehee ;)

**Eggnog**: Hmm, yep he still has that one phone call to Shera to make... hehe. ;) I'm planning something devious with that... just you wait!

**Jackie-O:** Haha I'm glad everyone enjoyed how he was hopeless at tying the tie:D

**Yuri-desu: **Aww -blush- Thanks so much! I am glad you're enjoying it sooo much -)))

**atOmicsquid: **Ooo gotta love the khakis on men ;) I think all characters in video games and like shows and stuff should have more than just one outfit. It's so weird and unrealistic unless they're dirt poor and its the only outfit they own. But these characters earn like thousands of gil from KILLING A BIRD! So yeah... new clothes yay! And your Italian-ness is great '-

**emir: **Wow, that's soo awesome to hear! Thanks, I truly enjoy writing and putting myself there to try to make the reactions and situations more realistic. I am glad to show you a different side to Cloud, and that you are getting the most out of my story )

**Rend: **Eh yeah I noticed that a little too late... don't worry though, I'll have Tifa use a nick for her friend and Denzel's crush will just be Eili to help make it easier.

**Yuri-desu: **I'm happy you're enjoying it so much, and I know how you feel! I find a good fic and I just sit there reading it all the way through and if its not finished I'm like NOOO :'( Tear! But I will def try to keep it going for all of you guys!

Yeah, I thought about Marlene and Denzel, but I decided that their relationship should be one to bud and blossom if it does when they're older. )

**selena: **Of course ;) I'm a sucker for happy endings.

**Pacman2000: **It's my first story to be published like this, but definitely not my first ever written. I start on them and never finish so I thought putting it online would help keep me motivated to finish it.

**rem: **Hehe well I'm just glad I could pull you so much into the fic that you would be chanting for them to just go for it:)

**Alucards-Lover-Sexy-Vampire...:** Hi, welcome! I am happy to hear that you are enjoying the story, and will definitely try to keep delivering the same quality as it goes on )

**Dark-luver-forever, Syneiam, Mystic Dragon Eyes, Toons,emily, Suma Susaki, tifacloudlover, astig342, celestafairy89, Skribblez: **THANKS SO MUCH! I love you allL! Muah, keep reading, I hope it will only get better!

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Once Denzel was off to school again the next day, Tifa and Cloud found themselves nervously sitting across from each other at the kitchen table. They kept their gazes averted, trying to find the courage to speak, but failing miserably. Finally Tifa just sighed and got tired of the quiet.

"Cloud… so, what are you going to do today?" she asked, trying to make normal conversation even though she just wanted to know what yesterday had been about. He looked at her then, and put on a half smile.

"Oh, the usual I suppose. I need to contact Reeve about the job and get that going, but other than that I'm free all day," he responded. "Why, did you have something in mind?" he added curiously.

"Umm… well I kind of wanted to go down to the beach and go swimming… I hoped maybe you would accompany me?" she queried hopefully. Cloud's smile became full then.

"Sure. I need some sun on my white chest," he replied, making her giggle. "What? It's true! It hasn't seen the sun's harsh rays in years," the blonde added after hearing her amusement. She only giggled harder.

"I was just imagining the 'big tough warrior' getting defeated by a biting sunburn… that evil sun!" she responded, saying 'big tough warrior' with a manly imitation voice. Cloud stared at her for a second then started laughing as well.

"I suppose so…" he responded, before standing up from the table. "Want to go right now?" he asked curiously. She nodded. "Alright, let me go get ready." Then he turned and walked out of the kitchen. Tifa followed soon after, going to her room to don her red bikini. She had purchased it when she first moved to Costa del Sol, and absolutely loved the outfit. It hugged her body nicely and was the perfect fit… she always felt confident wearing it, for her body was trim from so much fighting and training. When she had applied a layer of sunscreen, she grabbed her towel, slid on some flip flops, and headed out to meet Cloud. He was already waiting for her and seemed to enjoy the sight of her for his eyes roamed up and down her body appreciatively.

"Nice bikini," he commented in a low voice. Tifa blushed, though she had been taking in his chiseled chest and muscular legs as well.

"You may be pale but you've got a nice figure," she told him, then blushed even brighter. She hadn't meant to say that; it just ran through her head uncontrollably and out of her mouth. He grinned at her embarrassed expression.

"Thanks, yours is very nice too," he replied, stressing the 'very'. Tifa thanked him hurriedly before rushing out the door, trying to evade any more blushing. She felt as if she'd already gotten too much sun, and she hadn't even been outdoors. Cloud followed her leisurely, and by the time he reached the beach, she had already put her stuff down beneath an umbrella and was looking towards the water. Sensing his approach, she turned to him.

"Ready to go in?" she asked, looking very much ready herself. Cloud nodded, putting his towel down and sliding out of his shoes. Tifa followed suit with her shoes, and together they headed for the water. The heat was pretty intense already, but the beach was mostly empty since many people were working or at school. The first few steps were a bit chilly, but then the feel of the heat on their backs kept the two going until they were completely submerged to their necks. Leaning her head back, Tifa sighed. "Ahh… it feels so good to swim… I've missed it," she commented, enjoying the feel of the water on the back of her head.

"Yeah… I can't really say when the last time I swam was," Cloud responded, looking a bit uncomfortable with that fact. Tifa laughed teasingly at him.

"You mean you might drown or something?" she queried, floating almost unnaturally in the water. Cloud got a devious glint to his blue eyes.

"I might… you would have to rescue me and do CPR," he informed her. "What do you say to that?" Tifa smiled, coming nearer to him.

"Gladly, is what I would say," was her response before she suddenly bolted through the water away from him. Cloud tried following her but was a bit rusty; however he soon was remembering the basics of swimming. Then they started drifting out to deeper water, and suddenly Cloud went under with a loud splash. Tifa waited for him to emerge, but he didn't, and worriedly, she wondered if he hadn't been right about drowning. Taking in a huge gulp of air, she dove down to find him. He was floating lifelessly a few feet down, so she hurried to grip him and pull him above water. Dragging him to the beach, she slapped his face gently. "Cloud, wake up!"

He looked quite pale and didn't look to be breathing, so she bent down, prepared to give him CPR. However he chose that moment to open his eyes and breathe in, laughing softly at her surprise. "Tricked you," was his only response. Tifa's eyes began glittering dangerously, but Cloud reached up and kissed her again. It was only a small brush of lips but still took her breath away. Finally, she decided to ask him the question that had been nagging at her.

"Cloud… why?" she asked emotionally. She had to know. "Why, all of a sudden, are you flirting with me… teasing me… and _kissing_ me?" She stared at him patiently.

"Well if it bothers you that much I'll stop," he responded, raising an eyebrow. Tifa blushed.

"No… that isn't what I'm saying. I mean… all this time we've been only friends, nothing else, then all of a sudden… well I'm just curious as to your intentions, I suppose," she told him honestly. Cloud got serious then, and took her hands gently.

"Okay, then I'll tell you. All my life you were there for me, even when I was gone, and held such high hopes and expectations for me that no one else did. You tried keeping me going on the right path, and just have been the greatest friend I have ever had. Honestly, I do not know how you kept it up. I was so self-centered almost my entire life… stuck in my own world, in my own mind… you stuck by me though, and it wasn't until you almost died that I realized what a great person you are. Then I realized how stupid I was… how little I knew of the real you. If I had been paying attention, I would have known, but of course I didn't pay the least bit… so I decided I wanted to know all of you that I could. Will you let me do that, Tifa?" he finished, asking her quite seriously and hopefully. She could only stare at him speechless for a long moment until she finally regained her senses.

"Cloud… wow. I never thought I would hear those words from you… ever. I've been seeing so many new sides to you that I do not know what to think except one thing: I really don't know you like I thought I did. So if you getting to know me helps me learn more about you, then I am very willing to let you," she responded, offering a small smile. They gazed at each other silently then before Cloud pulled her into a tight hug. When he released her, he was beaming.

"Want to go lounge in the chairs for an hour or so? I could use some sun," he said, looking down at his pale midsection. Tifa giggled at the look.

"Of course… let's go. My umbrella has two chairs beneath it, so it's perfect for us," she told him, hopping up and dusting sand off of herself before leading the way to the umbrella she had deposited her towel and lotion beneath earlier. The two settled themselves beneath it, and relaxed, chatting lazily for the next hour and a half. Once they had decided a late lunch was in order, they gathered up their things and headed back to Tifa's. Once they had changed, they fixed a light lunch and finished just before Denzel got home from school. The look on his face was sullen and his coloring was a bit splotchy, as if he were angry. He handed Tifa a note and sat down at the table with a huff.

"What's this? Parent-teacher conference! Denzel…" she said, raising one eyebrow. "What did you do?" she asked in a demanding tone of voice. He took a few deep breaths before answering.

"Some punk kid kept insulting Eili, even when she asked him to stop TWICE, so I told him myself, and he still was being mean. So I just drew my fist and clobbered him. He made her cry!" was Denzel's heated response. Tifa's eyes were wide as she stared at her son, and she had to struggle not to smile or laugh.

"Oh… I see… well I think you took care of it. He stopped, didn't he?" she queried curiously. He smirked.

"Yeah… the blood was rushing outta his nose so fast he couldn't talk anyways," Denzel told her proudly. Cloud and Tifa exchanged a glance before Tifa went to pat Denzel on the shoulder.

"Don't worry… I will make sure you don't get in trouble. Little boys shouldn't be mean to little girls like that, no matter what," she told him with a frown. Denzel turned an awed gaze to her.

"Really? You're not mad at me too like the teacher was?" She shook her head, and he pounced on her to give her a hug. "You're the greatest mom in the world!" he exclaimed, and Tifa just smiled as she hugged him back. Cloud watched the scene silently, enjoying the moment. Soon Tifa was making Denzel get his homework done, and then they spent a quiet evening just relaxing and watching some television. Tifa and Cloud both slept peacefully, and the next morning Tifa dressed carefully, making sure to cover up most of her body so as not to shock the teachers. She was going to have the conference first thing, before the first bell, to get things straightened out.

"Bye Cloud, see you in an hour or less," she said as she pulled a sleepy Denzel out the door and down the street. Soon they arrived at the school, and Denzel led his mother to the principal's office. There a strictly dressed woman was sitting behind a large wooden desk, scribbling away at something. Tifa cleared her throat, and the woman looked up, her eyes very hawkish.

"Yes… can I help you young lady?" she asked in a cold and commanding voice. Tifa smiled pleasantly.

"I hope so. I am Denzel's mother, and he brought home a letter yesterday about a conference between his teacher and me?" she said, pretending to be a little clueless. The woman nodded, eyeing Denzel warily.

"That is correct. Since his teacher is not here yet, how about you and I talk instead? I will see if the other boy Denzel fought with is here," the principal directed, motioning for a chair in front of her desk. Tifa took it and Denzel stood next to her as the principal paged for the boy on a speaker. They sat there silently for a moment before someone knocked and in came a young boy with a bandaged nose. "I am Miss Beezle, and you are?" the principal asked Tifa curiously, seeming to just realize she didn't know Tifa's name.

"Tifa Lockheart, pleased to meet you," was the automatic response along with the offered hand, which Miss Beezle took hesitantly and shook once before releasing it.

"Yes, I thought it was you… anyhow, this is Jekor, the boy your son hit. I believe he even broke that nose, isn't that correct Jekor?" she said, looking at the boy who nodded. He seemed hesitant to talk. Denzel interrupted then.

"I didn't mean to break his nose! I barely even swung hard!" he protested. Tifa put a hand on his arm to quiet him, though she was impressed. Looking to the principal, Tifa got serious.

"I am sorry, but I think Jekor deserved what he got. Denzel tells me he was being very mean to Eiliana, calling her names and the like. She asked him to stop twice, and then Denzel asked him as well, but he persisted in his torturing. Eiliana even started crying, so Denzel defended her and made him stop," was Tifa's explanation. The principal looked shocked, her eyebrows raising almost up to her hairline, and she turned a curious eye on Jekor.

"Is this true, Jekor? Speak the truth, or else you'll be in detention for the rest of the year and become my assistant!" she warned evilly. The boy's eyes widened as big as his head and he nodded.

"I-it's true, Miss Beezle," he said in a timid voice. The woman looked ready to tear something up, but calmed herself a little with effort.

"I apologize for having this conference, Miss Lockheart. It appears your boy was helping that poor young lady, so he is free to go back to classes today. As for you, Jekor… stay here after they leave," the principal said, her voice deadly calm. Tifa rose, smiling at the woman.

"Good, I am glad you see what I see. Just don't blame me when Denzel pummels the next kid to tease Eili…" she commented, then leaned conspiratorially towards the principal and whispered to her. "He has a crush." The principal's face showed complete understanding then, and she smiled at them.

"Well, have a good day Miss Lockheart, Denzel. Thanks for coming," she told them, waving them out. Once they had shut the door behind them, Denzel hugged Tifa tightly again.

"You're so awesome!" he told her. "I gotta go see if Eili needs help carrying her books to class… see ya after school! Love you mom!" he added before pecking her on the cheek and dashing off down the hall. Tifa watched him in a daze; love even affected children in funny ways. Smiling softly, she made her way out of the school and back to her house, where Cloud had a delicious breakfast of pancakes fixed for her. They made quick work of the food, and talked a little about this and that. Then Tifa told him what was on her mind.

"Denzel has an amazing arm… he broke that kid's nose and said he barely even threw his arm at him. I think… well I am thinking about introducing him to my techniques… teach him what I was taught. Pass on my knowledge and skills to another who could make use of it. But only if he wants to do it," she said, very serious and thoughtful. Cloud looked surprised, then grinned.

"That's great, Tif. I'm sure he'll jump at the chance to learn to be like you… he adores you, rightly so," he said, making her look at him and winking at her. She grinned in response, and shrugged.

"I'll have to see when he gets home… meanwhile I want to do some exercises after I help you clean up this mess. What are you going to do?" she asked, taking her dishes to the sink and then fetching his. Cloud allowed her since she seemed to be healing very well, and started dumping out the small amount of uneaten food.

"I think I am going to check out some of the other shops around this village, see if they have anything new or interesting. It will be a day of leisure," he responded. "But I'm a phone call away if you need anything," he added, sounding no-nonsense about it. She smiled and nodded at him.

"Of course… there, just a quick wash and… okay, finished," she said, finishing her dishes. Cloud did his own then, and the two parted for the time being to accomplish his or her own tasks. Tifa set out jogging around town, planning to make two trips all the way around the outskirts. Cloud wandered amongst different shops, finding a few things here and there, then went to check out the bar. The morning and afternoon passed by quickly, and by the time Denzel was to be home, both Tifa and Cloud were enjoying a refreshing glass of raspberry lemonade in front of the television.

"It's the weekend finally!" Denzel exclaimed as soon as he threw the door open. The two adults looked up in surprise, and realized that though it had been a long week, it was finally over. People would be crowding up the beach as they came to get away from the stressful lives and wind down, and the town would be a whirlwind of activity. Denzel moved to sit next to his mother and talk to her about his day, and Cloud's phone went off so he left to talk in another room.

"Denzel…" Tifa started, smiling lovingly at him and stroking his red hair gently. "What would you say to me teaching you my technique… how to fight like I do?" she queried curiously, keeping her tone neutral. He stared at her in shock before jumping up and down.

"I'd say of course! It would be awesome to be able to kick monster butt like you do!" was the overly excited response. Chuckling at his hyperness, Tifa hugged him to her.

"Okay, then will you let me teach you?" she asked him formally. He grinned at her.

"Mom… of course," he said, and the two hugged happily. Just then Cloud returned, smiling at them.

"I guess he said yes?" he asked, resuming his seat from earlier comfortably. Tifa nodded.

"Yes, just like you said he would. Did Mr. Vincenzi call you?" she questioned in return, curious as to the phone call. Cloud smiled again.

"Yep. He's almost got the first delivery ready, so I need to call Reeve. Do you mind me asking him to come here so I can give him some things and he can stay the night before heading out with his team to pick it up?" he asked her. Tifa shook her head.

"You know I don't mind. Go ahead… tell him we'll cook him a gourmet meal, fit for a king," she said with humor. Cloud nodded.

"Great… thanks! Will do." He then picked up his phone and dialed a number, then waited with it to his ear. When Reeve answered, they talked briefly, before it was settled. Half-grinning, he turned to the other two.

"Bingo. He's coming tomorrow."


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: **peers out from behind a shiny metal shield Mew... don't hurt meh! I am soo soo sorry for my super long absence... I knew school would have me uber busy but I never knew how hard this past semester would be. I had no time for anything but work and studying and doing projects... my apologies for leaving everyone hanging in the air here :( :( I have had this half written for some time now, but haven't had the time to finish it til now. Christmas made things so hectic so now I finally have time to do... other stuff XD I have like 2 1/2 weeks until I go back to school, but this semes should be much better. In the meantime I will try to update somewhat regularly, though I'm not promising anything.

I am not doing responses to reviews this chappie, but will try to next chapter! However, I remember many of you asking for more fluff, so I tried to pack a lot of it in this chapter. I hope those of you who are still there enjoy it! Lotsa love, Happy New Year and belated Merry Christmas! And now I give you Chapter 11!

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Tifa sighed as she finished straightening up the house. Cloud had done an excellent job of keeping the place clean while she was recuperating, so there wasn't really much for her to do. Their guest wasn't scheduled to arrive until about seven the next evening, so she felt an itch between her shoulders for something to do. Just as she was heading back to the living room, Denzel came like a bullet to her.

"Mom… Zak wants me to spend the night tonight… can I? I can be back tomorrow evening when that Reeve guy gets here, promise!" he asked while widening his eyes at her to give the puppy dog effect. Tifa grinned down at him.

"Of course you can. Just make sure his mom's okay with it…" she warned, remembering a time before her poisoning when Zak forgot to okay it with his mom and ended up being grounded for a few weeks after that. Denzel grinned this time.

"She's the one who suggested it," he told her before thanking her and bolting off to get his stuff together. It only took about ten minutes and he was ready, so she walked him to the house (just to be sure) before returning home. When she walked in, Cloud was just emerging from his bedroom looking freshly showered and smelling like heaven (at least to Tifa). Whatever shower gel or cologne he used… it was yummy! Her senses were reeling as he asked her where Denzel was.

"He went to spend the night with one of his friends. He promised he'll be back tomorrow evening before Reeve arrives," she responded. Cloud nodded and took a seat on the couch while Tifa paced behind him. After a moment or two, he turned to watch her.

"Can't sit still?" he inquired curiously. She shook her head.

"No… I feel so restless. I'm so tired of being cooped up in this house… I just want to do something at least somewhat exciting!" she responded as she walked over a slight bump in the carpet for the eleventh time. Cloud's gaze turned thoughtful, and a smile spread its way across his face.

"You know… we should go for an adventure… overnight. Want to?" he asked her, tilting his head slightly to the right.

"Okay, where to?" was Tifa's response. Cloud only smiled mysteriously.

"You'll just have to trust me on this one, and see when we get there. So…?" he queried, one brow raised and his blue eyes sparkling. She weighed her options, then decided she would do anything to get out of the house.

"Fine… as long as we're not going to be ambushed by monsters or anything," she finally said. Cloud hopped up immediately.

"Don't worry… you can trust me!" he said enthusiastically as they moved to pack up a few things. By the time they were leaving the house, it was around five or six and they still had good sunlight. Cloud led Tifa to where he had been keeping their chocobos. The small village had built a stable area for the large birds since more and more people were using them for travel these days, and Cloud had rented out two stalls with some of his generous savings. Once they had everything set, they hopped on the birds and took off inland, with Cloud slightly in front to lead. It was a nice day with only a slightly cool breeze on the air, and Tifa just let her pent up frustrations fly away. She wasn't stretching her legs, not yet, but it sure felt good to be doing something.

It didn't take long for the brunette to figure out they were headed toward Nibelheim, and was preparing herself for that visit when Cloud surprised her by taking a small path between the base of some of the mountains. In a sharp curve of the mountain there lay a cave opening, something Tifa had never seen before. Cloud stopped outside and dismounted, then helped Tifa down. They left their things on the chocobos, who were firmly secured to the ground, before going inside. Cloud hadn't said much to her as of yet, but was letting her form her own reactions. At her first glimpse of the deep interior of the cave, Tifa stopped abruptly and drew in her breath.

The cave was absolutely gorgeous! Every where she looked, all she could see were crystals practically glowing in every single color of the rainbow. The walls were just completely covered in them. The floor of the cave was shiny enough to reflect all that color… it was a breathtaking experience with full impact on the senses. When she was able to close her jaw, Tifa finally let out her breath and turned her dazzled eyes to Cloud.

"This is absolutely spectacular! How did you find this place?" she asked softly. He grinned at her, absurdly pleased with her reaction.

"Before we defeated Kadaj and I was roaming the land a lot, I followed a monster here that knew it couldn't beat me. After I dusted it, I happened to notice the edge of the cave, and went to explore. I decided not to look too far inside because I wanted to share it with someone special… Don't really know why, either," he mused, looking thoughtful. He just hadn't been able to step further inside than a few feet, and had left that day but never forgotten about it. He smiled at Tifa; he was glad he was sharing it with her. She returned the smile, and he took her hand. "C'mon, let's see these crystals closer," he said, pulling her with him as he approached the walls.

Tifa wished she had a camera with her, or even a small piece of one of the crystals to take home with her. They were just so beautiful and precious… especially since it was a gift Cloud was sharing with her. _'Someone special… it's so wonderful being called that…'_ she thought, her heart bursting with warmth as if it were blooming. Taking in a deep breath, she almost tripped over an object on the ground but caught herself in time.

"Cloud, look! A chest!" she exclaimed, excitement in her voice. It was a decently large chest with a thick lock on it. Cloud immediately joined her and they both stared at it for a solid moment before he took his whole sword and in one quick slash unlocked it. Tossing the lock away, he looked back at Tifa and they shared a look before he slowly pushed the lid up. Both of them gasped at the plethora of jewels and other gold and silver trinkets. On top was a rolled up piece of paper, like a scroll, and Cloud took it. Unrolling it, he read its words out loud.

"_To all whom open this chest: each trinket and jewel in this box was made in the spirit of love. Anyone who possesses and wears them will be truly blessed with love for the rest of their life. Please, take only one or two and leave the rest for the next lucky person. The lock will reassemble itself when you close the chest." _Looking up at Tifa, he gave her a genuine smile. "Well, is there anything you like in here?" he queried, gesturing to the contents of the chest. Tifa moved forward and crouched down next to him, her eyes roving over everything. Finally they stopped on a simple silver necklace with a sapphire in a Celtic type of pendant. She beamed and picked it up.

"I love this one… it's so simplistically beautiful," she told him, her eyes glued to the object. Cloud gently took it from her hands as they rose, and moved around behind her to put it on. Once it was clasped, he turned her around to face him, and eyed the jewelry.

"It looks great… it only enhances your beauty," he told her with a serious tone to his voice. She inhaled sharply and their eyes met again. Slowly Cloud leaned forward and tipped her chin up with his thumb gently, placing his lips upon hers. It was a tender, soft kiss that lasted only a few seconds, but Tifa's heart started racing again. Their gazes stayed locked, sharing secrets without words, and after a few moments Tifa found some courage and rose on her toes to kiss him again. This time it was hot, strong, passionate… Cloud's mouth seemed to devour hers in slanting motions, his arms holding her close and one hand cupping her head. Tifa felt a searing bolt of lightning travel down her body, warming her belly and creating a pressure she'd rarely felt. Her thoughts were hazy, clouded, but all she knew was she wanted more. More and more…

Cloud himself was following that same line of thought, and his body was on fire. He'd never felt such a great passion inside of himself ever before… it both amazed and scared him. The urgent chant in his mind, _'More… I want more… no, I need more…'_ seemed to push at him with a ferocious intensity but also made him realize they had to stop now or it would go to a whole different level. Regretfully he broke away from her, his chest heaving a bit from the lack of oxygen as he deeply inhaled and exhaled several times. Tifa was panting, gazing at him with clouded eyes. _'That look… I have to look away before I pounce her…'_ Cloud thought, turning his gaze to the chest. Slowly he moved to close it, and just like the note said, the lock materialized back in its place looking brand new. Shaking his head in wonder, he turned to smile at Tifa.

"Shall we go back outside? I have another surprise for you," he told her, the smile rather enigmatic. Tifa managed to shake herself out of her stupor and nodded, following Cloud out of the cave. They mounted their chocobos and headed out once again. Cloud led her to a small forest, and straight into the heart, where a beautiful meadow with tall grass was. There they got off their chocobos right next to a large tree and tied them up again, and Cloud pulled a bundle out of his saddle pack.

"What's that?" Tifa asked, suspicious at the sight of a blanket wrapped around something pretty large. Cloud smiled at her and unrolled the blanket, revealing a basket stuffed with food.

"Picnic lunch," he replied, laying the basket down before laying out the blanket underneath the shade of a tree. Once it was smooth, he picked up the basket and took Tifa's hand to lead her to sit down. Cloud joined her, setting out the club style sandwiches, pickle slices, chips, cheese dip, chocolate cake, and finally he produced a bottle of champagne. Tifa's eyes were wide with surprise and shock. "Heh, sorry, but I thought a glass of this would make it a little more 'romantic'," he told her somewhat sheepishly. She shook her head and beamed a smile at him.

"It does! But isn't it hot?" she queried, thinking of the ride to the cave, then the ride here, plus the time they were in the cave. He nodded.

"Yep, but I've still got some materia with me. Ice!" he said, his palm on the bottom of the bottle. Ice covered the bottom and started cooling the liquid inside. Tifa's smile widened at this, and Cloud poured the two glasses of the bubbly drink. Once he had handed Tifa hers, he lifted his glass. "May I present a toast? To the friendship we have held onto for so long which means more to me than anything else on this Planet… and to staying close to each other for many more years to come…" Tifa's eyes grew wider as she clanked her glass to his and drank. _"It means more to him than anything else??'_ she thought, bemused. The tingly warm feeling she had had in her chest spread all over her body at this, and as they ate she couldn't keep her eyes off of her companion.

Noticing her stare, Cloud asked, "Wha? Did I spill something on my chin?" while cutely trying to lift his chin and look down at it at the same time. Tifa giggled at that.

"No, no… I was just looking at you…" she replied honestly, taking a generous bite of her sandwich. Cloud stopped trying to view his chin to look at her oddly a moment, then he just smiled and continued eating. This time he was looking back at her, and their meal was comfortably silent. Once they were finished with the food, Tifa felt her eyes drooping as they put everything back into the basket except the blanket. Feeling very brave when she saw Cloud seated next to the tree and leaning back against it, the brunette moved to situate herself on his lap. "Hope you don't mind… I'm sleepy," she told him, her voice drowsy.

Though he was surprised at her actions, Cloud didn't mind at all and said so. Soon Tifa had wrapped her arms loosely around him and rested her head in the crook of his next, drifting off into sleep while he rested his hands at her waist. They stayed in that position for her half hour nap, and were only bothered by a couple of wasp creatures flying around. Cloud easily defeated them with his material and never woke Tifa. When she did come to, she found Cloud watching her intently, a tender smile on his face. As if a magnet were between them, their heads moved together and their lips met in a very soft and sweet kiss. Not wanting it to end, Cloud tightened his hold on her to pull her closer, and the kiss turned into something full of passion and sparks. When they finally came up for air, both were once again panting. As Tifa regained her bearings, she noticed something.

"Cloud… it's already dark. Are we going to set up camp?" she asked him curiously, noting the growing chill in the air. Cloud blinked, surprised that time had flown by so quickly, and then he nodded.

"Yeah… I brought the supplies in my other saddle bag," he responded as she stood up. He immediately missed her warmth but decided to concentrate on getting their camp set up. Once that was done and the fire was going, they looked at each other. Tifa was shivering, despite her best efforts, and Cloud smiled. "Want to share my sleep roll?" he asked. "It is pretty cool tonight… I wouldn't want you getting ill so soon after your recovery," he added to clarify that his intentions were innocent. Tifa smiled at him and nodded.

"Okay… that sounds good," she said, following him to lay out the roll. Once they were lying down, Cloud put his arm around her abdomen and pulled her close to him, spooning her. Tifa shivered once before snuggling close and turning her head. They kissed goodnight, and as she drifted off to sleep, Cloud heard "Thank you…" whispered from her lips. He was unsure of what she meant exactly, so he squeezed her gently before casting a protect spell on them and falling asleep as well.

The next morning Tifa woke up first, a while before dawn, and just stayed there soaking up the warmth of Cloud's body. He hadn't relinquished his hold on her or moved at all, and it gave her a wonderful feeling in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't help feeling cherished in that moment. Just then Cloud woke up, yawning softly. "Already awake?" he whispered to which Tifa nodded. "Well, good… there's something I want to show you," he said then, causing her to crack a grin. So many surprises in so short of a time… she didn't know if she could take it all without crying tears of joy. They reluctantly got up and put everything away, then mounted the chocobos once more. Cloud took the lead again, this time steering the huge bird to the top of a high cliff which overlooked the ocean.

Motioning her to dismount, Cloud stepped close to the edge, smiling as he noticed the sky lightening. "Cloud… what are you up to?" Tifa asked, coming up next to him. He smiled at her then, moving behind her and putting his arms around her.

"Just watch…" he said, closing his eyes a second to inhale the scent of her. When his eyes came open again, the sky was turning brilliant colors of pink and orange as the sun started to rise from its sleep. The water was reflecting those colors, causing a gorgeous scene. When the top of the sphere came up, Tifa gasped. The sunrise was an amazing experience, one she knew she would cherish forever. It was made even better by the fact that the man she loved so much was holding her close to him, his breath catching at the beauty that always took him by surprise. The colors were always different but always beautiful and vibrant. It signaled the birth of a new day and life of a planet that refused to be destroyed despite the efforts of those who hated it.

When the sun finally pulled itself up above the horizon line, Tifa turned her glossy eyes to Cloud, a soft smile on her face. "That was absolutely amazing… thank you for sharing it with me.." Cloud nodded.

"I have seen it a few times myself, but every time it takes my breath away… I'm glad you enjoyed it." Then he paused to consider. "I suppose we could head back to Costa del Sol, unless you wanted to stop anywhere else first?" Looking down at Tifa, he was caught in the beauty of her dark ruby eyes, feeling as if he were seeing into her soul. Tifa smiled brighter at his words.

"Well, can we drop by Nibelheim before we go back home?" she asked, striking him with the word 'home'. He felt like he had just been dunked in lightning for some odd reason, but shakily pushing the feeling away to be dealt with later.

"Sure, why not? Haven't been back there in quite some time…" he responded, releasing her finally to get back on his chocobo. Tifa followed suit, eyeing him curiously. She had seen his stricken look and wondered about it, but wouldn't pursue it. If he wanted to talk about it, then she would be willing to listen, but she wasn't going to push him. He seemed confused anyway. The ride to Nibelheim was silent again, both lost in their thoughts. When they reached their hometown, they slowed before dismounting. Their steps were a bit hesitant at first, but finally they plunged on in.

The town hadn't changed much after all this time… everything was still in the same place. However, more people had moved in, and it was looking livelier now. Tifa went to her old house while Cloud wandered to the well. No one had bought her childhood home yet since it went on the market again after Sephiroth's first Reunion, but there were some inquiries. She had a feeling that soon it would have someone residing in it again, and felt the need to say her final goodbyes. The interior was still so much the same, and as Tifa moved through, old memories assaulted her. Meeting Cloud for the first time… playing with him… then him leaving to join S.O.L.D.I.E.R. Everything else in her childhood was a blur after that, up until he returned and saved her life. She had been so happy to see him again after so long, but Sephiroth's madness had put a damper on that. She still resented him for ruining her reunion with her old friend.

Moving upstairs, she sat down on her old bed, gazing out the window thoughtfully. She could see Cloud sitting at the well and remembered saying goodbye to him there. As she stood and made her way back downstairs, Tifa smiled. They had changed so much since their innocent childhood, but still remained part of each other's life. It was wonderful that she had made such a solid connection so young… and despite the pain he had brought her, all the joy was making up for it day by day. Turning to face the house's interior, she smiled. "I have had a lot of good memories here… I hope you give better memories to the next person who lives her," she said, closing her eyes a moment before turning and exiting.

Meanwhile, Cloud had been reminiscing as well as he gazed into the well's depths. Tifa had been so nice to him when he first came here… and was his very first friend. He remembered the pain of leaving her and all his hopes and dreams of making something of himself. Then returning to Nibelheim as only a shadow, nothing close to what he wanted to be… but he had been happy to see Tifa again. Then it was taken away with Sephiroth's actions… which still angered him. But still, they remained friends and Tifa had been the one to rescue him from his mako poisoning. He felt very lucky to have her and very grateful to her. He hoped he could make it up to her over time. Hearing a door open and close, Cloud raised his eyes to see Tifa emerging, a smile on her face. "You ready to go?" she asked, looking as if a weight had been lifted. He nodded.

"Yeah… let's go," he said, standing up and taking her hand in his. As they headed for the town's entrance, they both glanced toward the old mansion. They knew Vincent was probably out collecting materials for his project of restoring the house or working hard inside, so they decided to visit him another time. The ride back to Costa del Sol went by quickly, and soon they were putting their chocobos in the stable and heading back to Tifa's home. Once there, they split up to take showers and change. Tifa emerged from her room to find Cloud making some salad for lunch, and she joined him to help. They ate and chatted, and when they were done and had cleaned up, Tifa felt some energy remaining.

"Hey… I am not tired yet, so do you want to come with me to do some light shopping? Nothing big, I promise you! Just groceries and things like that," she suggested, looking at him hopefully. Cloud pretended to consider it before nodding slowly. Tifa clasped her hands happily and dragged him out of the house to the market. They had already picked up a few things when they ran into Genko. He seemed overly happy to see them, despite Cloud's menacing glare in his direction. He didn't like the mayor very much at all.

"Tifa! Mr. Strife," the man greeted, his eyes shining though he kept glancing warily at Cloud. "You'll never guess what's been happening around here lately! For some reason people seem to want to live in the sunshine rather than inland in the smoggy cities… and we've had a huge influx of residents! We're expanding the town outward to keep up with the demand for housing! Perhaps you might think about buying some land and a larger house, since you seem to enjoy it here so much! I know your place is comfortable, but you are raising a boy… I bet more space would be nice," the mayor suggested before moving off to speak to another resident. Tifa stared at him a moment before speaking in a serious tone.

"You know… I have been considering doing just that lately. I really like it here… the fresh air is so nice, and I know Denzel can be safe and healthy here," she said, looking at Cloud to see what he thought. He considered it a moment before nodding.

"That sounds like a great idea, Tif. It is a pleasant town to live in, for sure," he told her, earning him a beaming smile.

"I'm so happy you think so! I'll have to speak to Denzel about it and see what he thinks, but I'm sure he'll love the idea," she commented before going back to her shopping. As Cloud followed her, he started thinking about the future now that Tifa was seriously thinking about staying here for good. For some reason, the idea of going back to live in Midgard was extremely unappealing. _"Duh… you don't want to leave Tifa, doofus!'_ his inner voice said. Cloud stiffened in surprise, then relaxed when he realized it was the truth. Every time he thought ahead into the future, he always saw himself near Tifa. Very near her. Nothing else made sense. He would follow her into the Northern crater if she so desired to live there.

He realized then that Tifa had been happily chatting away at him while he had been lost in thought, and made himself concentrate on what she was saying. "I never would have imagined living here when we were kids… but my heart tells me this is where it wants to be," she said, turning to smile up at him. Cloud returned her smile, and inwardly sighed. She was his future… that he was sure of. He loved her so much, and never wanted to let her go. He realized how serious his feelings for her were. _'Marrying Tifa would be the greatest thing I have ever done…'_ he thought, his eyes widening. Marriage? That was something he had never considered to be something he would do… he was the hero of the Planet who was always there to save the day when something catastrophic happened. He was supposed to be lonely for the duration of his life, or so ancient tales said. However, this was his world, and his life. He could do whatever he wanted… and marriage? Yes… he wanted to marry Tifa Lockheart. She was his heart and soul, and understanding that gave him a delicious feeling inside.

Watching her decide which pineapple was better, Cloud smiled. He would show her that marrying him would be the one thing to make them both complete, starting right at that moment.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Yay! It's done! I had a severe case of blockage, not knowing where I wanted to take this story next. But now... now I am getting more into the groove. I will take a moment to thank all the reviewers. Thanks for sticking with me guys! Oh, over 100 reviews! That means that I will be drawing and coloring a picture of Cloud and Tifa's first kiss! Keep your eyes peeled for it next chappie.**

**fishbone311: **Thank you, and about the intimacy? Yeah, uhm... they will get more that way soon! Promise!! Denzel might idolize Cloud, but hey it's been awhile since the movie ended, so he maybe started looking more up to her. :P I'll be sure to show more of his YAY CLOUD-ness soon :D

**Sango Yukijorou: **Yep, he is! And there are some guys in the real world like that, you just gotta find them!!

**DeathsGreenEyedAngel: **Chapter 11 and 12, yay!

**OniCelestialFury: **Haha really? Cool! I've never done, but read about it ;) And sankyou!

**Kiome-Yasha: **Yay! What whole Aeris thing are you asking about, perchance? Not really sure... And woot Denzel's gonna become strong!

**Leon EVA unit-01: **Thank you, and soon I will talk more of the training of Denzel. :)

**PokeTenshi: **LMAO I will! ;) That would be hawt :D

**Nanashi Tsumara: **Flirting... yay. More soon! Promise!

**Elegant Tragedy: **Thankies, and woot updates.

**TriGemini: **Yeah, it's going slowly but surely. Guaranteed to pick up sooooon! And woot, they are definitely getting closer. But they must have more **friction** soon muahaha... -evil grin-

**cherimai: **Thanks for the New Years wishes... like 2 years ago :D But still! :)

**elebelly: **Aww thanks, glad you had a great one too!

**Toons: **Thankies, and I'm glad to be updating even if it is really really late .

**Rend: **Yep, I found out through a story the creators of FFVII released called "On The Way To A Smile" that Tifa really really really just wants family, and hopefully I can give that to her D

**Yuri-desu: **LoL ;) So dramatic, but I like it! And thank you, I try!

**Tri17: **Yeppers! And I put the rating at M because I plan on making it really hot in the future. So yeah. D

**Caluxe: **I hope this chapter is up to your standards!!

**P ii x y -S t ii x s: **Yes, I try to think of it in more realistic terms... so yeah. Closer but not too close... yet 

**Dillinger910: **Uhm, hmm? I'm so confused! You wrote, this is not the best, but the greatest. So I'm not exactly sure what you mean there. You mean instead of the best, it's the greatest, or...? 8-S lalala. And -blush- thank you!

**XxMikomi-ChanxX: **Wow, you rock! Thanks for reading them all!!

**Marisa:**I cannot believe you reviewed EVERY chapter and read them all through! LoL thanks so much hun, I'm glad you like it! Hopefully this chapter isn't too dull XD 

**To everyone else: **Thanks for sticking around, and ta-da! Please enjoy this chapter, and expect more hotness to come. Plus Denzel's training begins! And thanks for thecongratulations onmy graduation! NO MORE SCHOOL woooohooooo! Without further ado, I give you Chapter 12.

The next day started early for Cloud and Tifa. Her health was obviously returning rapidly now, and she felt great! Once breakfast was over, Cloud went to make a phone call while Tifa considered what to fix for supper. The morning and afternoon passed quickly, with Cloud getting things ready for Reeve and Tifa doing some exercising and small chores. Denzel returned right after Tifa started cooking. Cloud joined her, and they had the food done in record time. They set the table and exchanged grins when they realized it looked like something out of a magazine. 

The centerpiece was roast beef, sliced perfectly. Fanning out from the meat were potatoes followed by carrots. They had almost drizzled the gravy on it but decided against it. Maybe Reeve wasn't big on gravy, who knew? Better safe than sorry. So they had poured the gravy into a handled dish with a spout, and laid it to one side of the centerpiece. On the other side were dinner rolls arranged in a circular pattern in the pan they had been baked in. Finally, the plates each had a knife, fork, and spoon next to them and a glass in front of them.

"This looks delicious... and smells great too! I hope Reeve enjoys it," Tifa commented, leaning against the counter. Cloud agreed with her, his eyes sparkling. He then excused himself to go meet Reeve at the entrance of the town, just in case he got lost. Tifa lost herself in thought, her mind trailing back to the previous evening. She had been contemplating which pineapple was the best when something came over Cloud. It was a small change, unnoticeable to anyone who didn't know him very well, but she noticed it. Suddenly he seemed much more attentive to her, helping her with the shopping, pushing the basket for her, and carrying out the groceries.

He held open the door for her when they got back to the house, then helped her put the groceries away. Then he suggested they go watch a movie in the living room, and once it was playing, he pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her. They stayed cuddling like that for the duration of the movie, and afterwards he kissed her sweetly. She yawned, and he immediately helped her to her room and gave her a good night kiss. Cloud had seemed unperturbed by the fact that she held herself emotionally away from him. Tifa admitted to herself that she was absolutely terrified of what was happening, and unsure whether she could trust it or not. She did not want to travel down a worse path than before, but he seemed so sincere in his affection and actions.

Unbidden, she had a thought that made her cringe. 'I hope I'm not his replacement for Aerith..' The pain that twisted her heart was real, and the brunette decided she would weasel the truth from him after Reeve left. She had to, for her own sanity and well being. Hearing the door open, Tifa pulled herself out of her deep thoughts and straightened up, plastering a friendly smile on her face. Reeve entered in front of Cloud, and Denzel followed them.

"Hello, Reeve. How was your trip?" she asked politely. He smiled back at her.

"Not too bad... I had no run-ins with monsters or the like. I love your house, Tifa," he shot back, admiring the kitchen with his eyes. That made Tifa relax somewhat, and she nodded.

"Thank you, I love it too! But I'm thinking about buying a larger plot of land and permanently staying here," she told him. He seemed surprised, then happy for her as they sat down.

"Good for you! The sun is a great source of happiness... and wow, this meal looks great!" he exclaimed, seeming to only just notice the food. Cloud grinned.

"Tif is a great cook... I think I'm getting fat off her food!" he said happily, looking at her and exchanging a significant look. Reeve caught it and looked between the two curiously, but kept his mouth closed for the time being. A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, and he tried to hide it.

"It smells good enough.. I'm sure it'll be delicious," he commented, bringing their attention back to the present. Denzel was grinning, and looked to Tifa.

"Mom, can we go ahead and start? I'm starving!" he complained. She nodded, then jumped up to get the tea she had made.

"I completely forgot to get this out for us... go ahead and start while I pour your tea," she said, moving to give everyone full glasses. Once that was done, she put the pitcher on the table and sat down, waiting until they had gotten their food before filling up her plate. Reeve made an appreciative sound upon his first bite, and smiled at her.

"Cloud was right... it is excellent," he said. "You're lucky to have her cooking for you all the time, my friend." He winked at Cloud, who grinned back.

"Yeah, I know. I must have done something good in my life to deserve it," he returned, looking to Tifa warmly. She blushed, and Reeve gawked at them. He couldn't remember a time he had seen Cloud act like this, or hear him talk like that. Picking his jaw up off the floor, the man smiled in satisfaction. Tifa's near-death experience seemed to have changed the hero a lot more than it had the heroine. It was about time Cloud started acting like a normal human being instead of hiding from the world all the time.

"Mr. Reeve... can you tell me more about your role in the battle against Sephiroth the first time around?" Denzel asked, driving his attention away from the two. It was hard to tell if it was done on purpose or not, because the young boy's face remained placidly curious. He talked of his role of Cait Sith to the boy, and the meal went by quickly. Tifa and Cloud remained silent, listening to the talk and gazing at each other every once in awhile. Once everyone was finished, they cleaned up while Denzel continued questioning Reeve. Upon completion of the cleaning up, Cloud turned to Reeve.

"We can go over the specifics of the job in the living room before you go to bed, if you'd like," he said to the man in his normal stoic manner. Reeve nodded, and the men went to discuss the mission. Meanwhile, Tifa and Denzel chatted about their days. They were interrupted by a phone call, which Tifa answered.

"Hey, how are you? ...Mmhmm, we're doing great. We all love it here... yeah, that's correct. ...Oh? Okay, that sounds wonderful! I can't wait to see you guys! Alright... bye!" She hung up the phone and turned to Denzel with a grin on her face.

"Who was it? Who are you going to see?" he asked curiously. Tifa's grin widened.

"That was Barret... he and Marlene are coming to visit us in a few days!" she said, and Denzel grinned too.

"Ah, little sister... I miss her! I'm glad they're coming," he said with satisfaction. Tifa nodded; she had been missing them both lately as well. In fact, she missed every one of her friends... now that her life was getting better, she felt like reaching out to them and getting closer. Her family was her most important gift, and they were part of it. "Mom, I'm going to bed now. Night! Love you," Denzel added, hugging her and heading to his room.

Tifa followed him to the living room and said goodnight to the men before heading to bed herself. Once her door was closed, Reeve turned to Cloud. Acting nonchalant, he smiled.

"What's going on with you and Tifa? You seem really different from the Cloud I remember," the man said, eyeing the blonde curiously. Cloud blinked, shrugging.

"I never realized before how lucky I was to have someone like Tif in my life. She's been there for me from day one, and I always acted like a complete idiot to her. I treated everyone like that, and I regret it now. But to do that to someone who took everything I threw at her and still remained next to me, pulling my stupid self out of misery... I realize now that she is more than I deserve and I will do anything to make myself worthy of her. This includes giving back the love and support she has given me all these years.." Reeve coughed suddenly, and shook his head.

"Are you saying you love her? As in, are in love with her? Or love like a friend or sister?" the man questioned. Cloud didn't hesitate to answer.

"I'm in love with her, man. She's like my guardian angel, and when I get to protect her, it's a blessing. Every day I spend with her is a blessing. I thought I was in love with Aerith, but that was just my depression speaking. I felt like I failed her, but she made me see I didn't. And what I feel around Tifa is so much different than what I feel for Aerith... so I know it's real," the hero answered, nodding for emphasis. Reeve was still trying to get over the shock of this new Cloud, but it was hard.

"Well, I'm happy for you Cloud. I hope things work out for the best between you two!" he said cheerfully. He had a long trip ahead of him; perhaps he could use it to sort this out in his mind. "I think I'll catch some sleep so I can be ready to take off in the morning. Night Cloud." Cloud nodded and rising, went to his bedroom. Reeve set up the couch to sleep on and feel into a deep slumber before he knew it.

After Cloud had gotten himself ready for bed, he quietly left his room and knocked on Tifa's door. She opened it after a few moments looking like he had woken her up.

"What's wrong, Cloud?" she asked, suppressing a yawn. The man of her dreams just grinned and cupping her jaw, pressed his lips to hers in a heartfelt kiss. It sent electricity to Tifa's toes, and when they broke apart she stared at him dreamily.

"I thought you might need a good night kiss. See you in the morning," he responded finally, moving his hand to her neck before removing it. She nodded bemusedly as she watched him return to his room, and as she shut her door, the woman sighed. 'He sure knows how to kiss... I feel like mush from that simple of one', she thought as she crawled back into bed. Her last thoughts before falling back into her slumber were of Cloud's lips, their texture, shape and color. She knew she was going to have great dreams that night...


End file.
